Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Thanks for the approval, but I’m not here to confess.”

The Old Man Priest’s sudden appearance had helped push the momentum to its absolute peak.

Yet, just when the situation was looking so promising, Fu Qian displayed an astonishing degree of honesty, dropping a sudden bombshell.

His original approach had been to light fires at both ends, striving to fan the atmosphere to its most agonizing extreme.

He had been completely in the dark regarding the faith aspect, which was a slight shortcoming in his act.

Now that an elder had actually stepped up to explain things and bring everything to a natural climax, there was no reason not to push the envelope a little further.

Of course, the technique for pushing it was crucial.

He had to ensure that even if someone were watching from the shadows, they would still find it difficult to determine whether he was truly the reincarnation of Lu Ming.

This was purely on a logical level, of course. If the other party possessed such unreasonable divine powers that they had already locked onto his soul and were merely watching his performance like a monkey show—he still needed to thoroughly confuse them about his ultimate goal.

Assuming the worst about his current situation didn’t mean giving up. On the contrary, his execution needed to be even more cautious and delicate.”So what have you been doing here for the past two years and five months?”

Just as he drew everyone’s attention—and even the Old Man Priest showed a predictable hint of surprise—it was Tailing Sister who lost her patience first and voiced the interrogation.

Did this job not have shifts? Had she really been watching him constantly for over two years? Was she only just now realizing that things might be completely different from what she had thought?

Seeing that Tailing Sister could barely maintain her enlightened poise, Fu Qian formulated a highly sympathetic theory regarding her overly intense reaction.

If it was true, whether this was a roleplay or not, the experience undoubtedly felt terrible.

”Praying for wisdom.”

Driven by his powerful empathy, Fu Qian didn’t hesitate to rub salt in her wound the very next moment.

”I understand everyone’s remorse for their own sins. In this City of Sin, there are no truly innocent people. I understand all of that.”

His rhetoric had completely integrated into this City of Sin without a shred of dissonance.

”But unlike most people, I don’t think it’s enough.

”The direction might be correct, but the depth is sorely lacking. The reason I’ve been here all this time is actually the exact opposite of confessing. I’m here to seek the true path of redemption, to help the Brotherhood achieve true unity of mind and intent.”

His voice remained calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority. By the end of his speech, Fu Qian had stood up, staring at the underworld elements who had just taken their seats.

Since they could confess to an unknown entity, why couldn’t he seek guidance from an unknown entity?

...

So it wasn’t that he had grown tired of a bloody, violent underworld life. Instead, he thought it wasn’t dark enough, which was why he had chosen to sit here?

Everyone present had been seeking the path for years, and their sensitivity in certain areas was absolutely trustworthy.

Especially since Fu Qian had already made it abundantly clear.

He wasn’t dissatisfied with the Brotherhood’s extremism; rather, he believed the current level wasn’t nearly enough. Thus, he sat here, praying to the supreme existence in everyone’s hearts to bestow wisdom and help the Brotherhood take things a step further.

If that were true, it would be a shocking reversal.

Wronged for years, exonerated in a single day.

The problem was, why would anyone believe it was true?

”So, can I take this to mean you think everyone in the gang is wrong?”

Just as expected, Brother Thick Eyebrows asked the question emotionlessly the very next moment.

This was an incredibly normal reaction. If you asked anyone to rank the detestability of enemies, traitors, and heretics, heretics would undoubtedly take first place.

Because that was a true denial of the person in charge’s legitimacy. Theoretically, the punishment of three blades and six punctures was far from enough to appease public outrage for such a crime.

”Yes.”

Not at all surprised by Brother Thick Eyebrows’s reaction, Fu Qian nodded, imagining the retribution he deserved in that moment.

”So, after over two years here, have you found the correct answer?”

Brother Thick Eyebrows already wore a standard, polite smile. At first glance, they looked like two masters discussing the path, but Fu Qian was well aware of the deadly danger hidden within.

”I have.”

Yet, he didn’t even blink, nodding once more.

”You really are crazy. To escape the gang’s punishment, you’d even make up something like this.”

Unfortunately, Brother Thick Eyebrows seemed to have an alternative interpretation of Fu Qian’s reaction, firmly passing judgment in a resolute tone.

With that, the excellent situation the Old Man Priest had helped create was destroyed in an instant.

It made perfect sense.

Fu Qian, however, felt no negative emotions about this.

Among a group of people who didn’t dare face the hardships of the path directly and instead sought shelter in an imaginary ”collective power,” how many would actually have the courage to reform themselves?

Even if it was just an act, those whose realm was insufficient yet who still tried to stir up karma would inevitably be burdened by it.

In a sense, this place was currently the true City of Sin.

Didn’t they notice that Brother Thick Eyebrows hadn’t even bothered to casually ask what answer he had received?

The seeds of heresy needed to be eradicated with maximum prejudice; they couldn’t even be given the chance to deceive the masses.

Of course, considering the ”path of redemption” was just something he had made up on the spot, if Brother Thick Eyebrows had actually asked, Fu Qian really would have had to improvise an answer right then and there.

However, one thing wasn’t nonsense: he truly had received enlightenment here at the Church.

Everyone was devout, yet the core of their faith didn’t exist; everyone sought the path, yet the path’s correct answer didn’t exist. Weren’t they different tunes played with equal skill?

”Do you think anyone in the Brotherhood is going to believe your nonsense?”

Brother Thick Eyebrows had stood up by now, and with a gesture, two men stepped forward to surround Fu Qian.

”I don’t need you to believe me. I’ll do it myself—”

Fu Qian remained completely fearless. Facing the two hostile figures, the next moment he even turned his back to them without a single glance, his tone resounding and resolute.

”The New Brotherhood!”

...

That should be just about the right degree.

At that moment, all sounds fell silent; only Fu Qian’s disdainful arrogance was unstoppable.

Even though he didn’t know a single person’s name here, including his own, it didn’t stop him from sweeping his gaze across the Brotherhood members one by one, gauging their reactions.

He had been here for too short a time, after all, and there were many things he couldn’t quite grasp. Fanning the flames to this extent with the information he had was pretty much pushing it to the limit.

”Take him back.”

Brother Thick Eyebrows decisively gave the order the next moment, unwilling to waste another word.

As for the Old Man Priest to the side, although he didn’t look like someone from the jianghu, he seemed to have listened most intently to those words. He remained silent, appearing to have found some inspiration.

Of course, even so, he clearly had no intention of calling off the gang members to lend a helping hand, but that didn’t matter—

”So, are you interested in joining?”

Flanked on the left and right as he was dragged outside, Fu Qian maintained his calm and detached posture. As he passed by Tailing Sister, he even looked at her with a beaming smile and asked the question.

After careful consideration, he figured he could push the envelope just a tiny bit more.