Eldritch Horror Theatre

The people of the Linghui Courtyard would naturally bring Wen Li over for a visit.

Fu Qian was quite certain that Old Man Weilong hadn’t just been blowing smoke, because that had been his exact objective for going there in the first place.

A petty clash of egos and a few mocking words were hardly worth the trip.

As for why he was so certain?

Just as he had noted earlier, the members of Linghui were universally arrogant and fiercely proud of their status.

Unable to swallow the insult after being provoked, how would they choose to strike back at a scoundrel like him?

Naturally, they would double down, showcasing Linghui’s profound resources to help this genius reach even greater heights.

It would be a true display of answering his arrogance with sheer strength.

But there was a technical problem: without a baseline, how would anyone know how much the young genius had improved?

Therefore, they definitely had to let him witness her original standard before stepping in to help.Only then, when she actually achieved greatness later on, would he be thoroughly convinced.

Thus, regardless of the method, Wen Li was bound to make an appearance before him. The current setup was simply the bluntest, crudest, and most easily unpleasant method of making it happen.

”Professor Ni. It has been a while.”

In truth, as a famously hospitable senior figure, what need did he have to worry about a little unpleasantness?

The next moment, Fu Qian stood up to greet the visitors, adopting an awe-struck tone as if their presence brought light to his humble dwelling.

...

As the saying goes, even a health expert doesn’t always live a long life.

Even as a Psychic Type, Professor Ni still seemed somewhat lacking in emotional stability.

Faced with Professor Fu’s greeting, his expression was undeniably stiff.

”Please, have a seat... Could this be the genius from Shangjing who shocked the transcendent realm by promoting to Tier 4 at such a young age?”

Fu Qian completely understood Professor Ni’s reaction.

After all, in the previous Ian Incident, aside from the deceased and Old Man Weilong, this man had been the biggest victim.

While Fu Qian hadn’t directly pointed the finger at him during the hearing, it was still incredibly difficult for Ni Huayuan to shake off the suspicion that he was the mastermind.

He wondered if Old Man Weilong had offered him any compensation afterward.

As such, he didn’t mind the poor attitude. The next moment, Fu Qian’s gaze fell on Wen Li as she walked in right behind the professor.

As if meeting her for the very first time, he made no effort to hide his admiration.

Anyone watching could vividly feel Professor Fu’s deep appreciation for talent.

It wasn’t just him, either. After the others exchanged their respective greetings, their attention naturally gravitated toward Wen Li.

Even Yuan Fang, who seemed to be hearing about this for the very first time, looked her up and down earnestly. It was rare to hear Professor Fu praise someone so highly.

”I am Wen Li. Professor Fu praises me too highly...”

Being scrutinized by such a lineup was undoubtedly a massive test of one’s psychological fortitude.

Seeing that their guide, Ni Huayuan, had been left momentarily speechless by Professor Fu’s overly polite performance, Wen Li finally took the initiative to reply.

As she carefully introduced herself, she sincerely expressed how flattered she was, acting as if she couldn’t dare accept Professor Fu’s excessive praise.

Even the slight blush flushing her cheeks from the excitement looked incredibly natural.

...

Not bad at all. She was indeed a young person he had guided on multiple occasions.

Eldest Miss Wen’s response won Fu Qian’s approval almost instantly.

Wen Li undoubtedly recognized his current face. She had even praised it as the best-looking of all his personas.

Even before this visit, Fu Qian believed that the moment she heard Professor Fu’s name, she would have already connected the dots.

Now she had her final confirmation, realizing exactly why he had been able to offer so much practical advice for her trip to the Academy.

Yet, from the moment she walked in, Wen Li’s performance had remained completely natural.

Whether it was her expressions, her movements, her breathing, or her heartbeat—even the faint traces of doubt and awkwardness—he couldn’t find a single flaw.

She perfectly captured the feeling of being forced into the spotlight to meet a controversial big shot she couldn’t afford to offend.

Her gaze, as it swept over everyone, was completely flawless and devoid of any abnormality. It almost made one feel as though she were a complete stranger wearing Wen Li’s face.

”Excessive humility is just another kind of arrogance. Young people should have the drive of youth. Please, take a seat.”

How could Fu Qian let down such an earnest performance? With a hearty laugh, he gestured specifically for the young genius to sit.

”Earlier today, I was actually discussing the issue of nurturing the next generation with Professor Weilong, and I used you as an example.”

”The transcendent world is bizarre and unpredictable. Those of us who have accumulated a bit of experience must provide proper guidance, no matter what.”

...

Professor Fu’s statement was undeniably filled with righteousness; the phrase the candle burns to ash before its tears dry up perfectly encapsulated the sentiment.

Even his summary of the exchange with Professor Weilong was, theoretically speaking, flawless.

However, anyone who truly knew the contents of that conversation would realize just how heavily he was employing his Spring and Autumn brush style to obscure the truth.

Even without having witnessed it firsthand, Classmate Liushuang, who was intimately familiar with his temperament, clearly wasn’t naive enough to take those words at face value.

Of course, at a time like this, there was no way she would expose her boss.

Therefore, she displayed nothing but curiosity toward the young genius girl before them, and she didn’t delay in serving tea to the two new guests.

Su Gao, on the other hand, maintained the same expression from beginning to end. Even the way she acknowledged the greetings from Wen Li and her companion was identical; she treated the visiting professor and the student exactly the same.

The only one slightly moved by this display of spirit was Brother Yuan Fang, who was now scrutinizing the young genius whose talent even Professor Fu marveled at.

Naturally, considering that his acting skills weren’t poor either, it was hard to say how much of that expression was real and how much was fake.

”...Actually, that’s exactly why we came here.”

In comparison, Professor Ni’s smile was undoubtedly very fake.

Seeing that their genius student still managed to remain calm and perform remarkably well under such scrutiny, he felt a sense of relief and finally spoke up to shield her.

It was obvious that the sheer number of people present was somewhat unexpected—especially the fact that the local chief of the Night Watchers was among them.

He didn’t seem to mind that detail too much, however, and stated his purpose directly.

”I heard Professor Weilong mention that Your Excellency has some unique insights regarding the nurturing of this young woman, so I brought her over specifically to listen and learn.”

Pointing a finger at Wen Li while keeping his eyes locked on Fu Qian, Ni Huayuan clearly had little interest in tasting tea. He cut straight to the chase.

”Professor Weilong also praises me too highly. I merely offered a few shallow suggestions.”

Fu Qian naturally had no intention of beating around the bush either. Casually copying Wen Li’s earlier response, he replied directly, even bringing up old matters.

”I have always respected Linghui’s profound foundation, but after all, there were so many accidents before...”

”Furthermore, our thinking can’t be too rigid. Although this young person’s abilities appear to fall under the Psychic Type, many places nowadays emphasize cross-disciplinary development.”

After emphasizing his philosophy, Fu Qian gestured directly toward Wen Li.

”Why don’t you use your ability on me first, so I can get a specific feel for it.”