Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Sorry, the gang still has rules.”

Unsurprisingly, the onlookers were dispersed by Fu Qian’s single sentence, and the gang members inevitably set out on their return journey.

Merely handling this minor incident obviously didn’t require dispatching so many people. No one had forgotten the main point of this trip—dealing with the traitor.

The journey back was quite quiet. Fu Qian sat in one of the largest carriages. Although he was accompanied by people on both sides, no one had any interest in striking up a conversation.

In this atmosphere, it wasn’t long before the carriage rolled to a halt. Sitting opposite him, Brother Thick Eyebrows finally spoke in a flat tone, announcing the arrival of the moment of judgment.

Even with his outstanding contributions just now, a suspected betrayal couldn’t be treated as if it had never happened. Fu Qian wasn’t surprised by Brother Thick Eyebrows’ attitude.

In the jianghu, one’s actions are not one’s own. Many things didn’t need to be judged too harshly.

The only regrettable thing was that nothing unexpected actually happened along the way.

Reverse tracing wasn’t just empty talk. After the previous encounter with a deathsworn, Fu Qian had actually been waiting for a new crisis.

However, the eyes behind the scenes seemed to have suddenly slowed their rhythm.”Fair enough.”

Reflecting on this, Fu Qian merely nodded at Brother Thick Eyebrows’ statement, choosing not to make things difficult for him.

He didn’t even mind when the other man gestured for the people beside him to place an ornate, blinding mask over his eyes.

...

A pungent fragrance.

This was what Fu Qian considered the most accurate description, and it was almost the only information he could gather.

The mask blocked out light perfectly. The group remained incredibly quiet as they walked, with no verbal communication whatsoever. Only a certain scent flooded his nostrils, rapidly growing thicker.

In theory, of course, the fragrance was quite high-class, possessing a refreshing quality that felt as though it belonged only in the heavens.

But no matter how high-class it was, it couldn’t offset being as thick as porridge, forcing its way straight into his lungs.

It was so thick that if not for the footsteps of the others beside him, he would have almost suspected he was being blindfolded and led into a furnace to be smoked like cured meat.

”Can you still find your own incense burner?”

To his relief, a moment later, an unfamiliar voice completely shattered the darkness.

It possessed an age rarely found in the City of Bliss, sounding full of absolute authority.

Even as the words were spoken, his vision was restored to light. Someone pulled the blindfold off from the side.

”You shouldn’t have had another chance to walk in here.”

The one removing the mask was none other than Brother Thick Eyebrows himself. As he took a step back, he coldly emphasized this point.

”But it seems you’ve truly brought some surprises.”

Before Fu Qian could express any opinion, that initial elderly voice continued its commentary.

Chiming in one after another, their meaning was already quite clear.

This place looked like an incredible location belonging to the Brotherhood, to the point that it was already a forbidden zone for traitors.

Unfortunately for them, his earlier theatrical performance had been far too impressive, granting him permission to enter once again.

And taking a glance around, its extraordinary nature was indeed apparent.

Specifically, his previous olfactory experience had been completely spot on. Right before him, the air was wreathed in thick smoke, resembling an earthly fairyland.

In the densest patches of smoke, visibility didn’t even reach a few meters.

As for the source of the smoke, within his line of sight, he could clearly see individual incense burners of various shapes and materials.

Wisps of blue smoke drifted out of them, converging into the spectacular scene before him.

The location the voice had just come from was just beyond his visual range. He could only rely on his ability to track sound to roughly pinpoint the direction.

”Can’t find it.”

Naturally, Fu Qian showed no sign of a guilty conscience. Facing that general direction, he casually admitted that he truly couldn’t find it.

...

His own incense burner... this phrasing undoubtedly carried a massive amount of information.

Coupled with the staggering number of them, it was easy to deduce a conclusion: each incense burner in the Great Hall before him corresponded to a member of the Brotherhood.

From this angle, one could intuitively understand how massive the Brotherhood’s influence was in the City of Bliss.

And aside from the ”thriving incense,” there was one particularly special point: that thick haze of smoke didn’t just gather together; it converged in an orderly fashion.

There was a reason the lucky ones in the City of Bliss believed they were in Paradise, just as there was a reason the Brotherhood could unite so many capable people.

Those wisps of white smoke actually wove together within the Great Hall according to some wondrous pattern, forming a mirage-like image.

Suspended in midair and paired with the structure below, the whole thing looked like an artifact woven from fine threads.

Such a scene undoubtedly instantly brought to mind the corporate culture of the Brotherhood—unity of mind, near absolute oneness.

It also made one understand why the person deep within the smoke had asked that question just now.

While a person lived, their incense burned. One’s own incense burner undoubtedly held considerable symbolic meaning, and perhaps it went beyond mere symbolism.

”Heh... very good!”

One piece of evidence for this was that Fu Qian’s claim of being unable to find it had clearly struck a nerve with the interrogator.

Only after a brief silence did the commentary resume.

It was accompanied by a disturbance in the smoke, from which a figure emerged.

...

’My skill at tracking sound is pretty good, isn’t it.’

Seeing the person walk out from the exact direction he had estimated, Fu Qian’s first reaction was to smugly praise himself.

Even his guess regarding the person’s age was accurate. It was an elderly face, something relatively rare in the City of Bliss.

He had no beard, but his hair was already half white. In fact, a starkly defined boundary ran along the coronal suture of his skull, giving him a unique appearance.

And his fine-lined face bore an expression of stern authority without anger, far more imposing than Brother Thick Eyebrows.

”No matter. I have found it for you.”

Unfortunately, Fu Qian was practically immune to things like an imposing aura.

As Fu Qian stared back with a look that suggested he couldn’t tell a compliment from a threat, the other man was ultimately the first to lose patience with his attitude, speaking up once again with full authority.

As the man strode over, he casually plucked a delicate, small, copper-colored incense burner from beside him and cradled it in his hand.

’So this is just ”mine”? Too bad there’s still no name engraved on it.’

Carefully inspecting the incense burner the man had picked out for him, Fu Qian sighed inwardly as it was held right up to his face.

The item was exquisite, and it looked quite nice. But after studying it for a moment, he didn’t find any information related to his identity.

Naturally, Fu Qian didn’t question whether the man had just picked one up at random to fool him.

”Many thanks.”

Quite the contrary. The next second, he even earnestly thanked him, casually reaching out to take it.

”No need to thank me—”

However, his hand grasped nothing but air. Old Man Yin-Yang Hair offered a casual pleasantry, but instead of handing the incense burner over, he flipped his hand downward and smashed it directly into the ground.

’...Is this what they call blowing out the candle?’

Looking at the incense ash scattered all over the floor, though Fu Qian remained unfazed, a bizarre association rose in his mind.