Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1269: Chapter 1267: Loss of Image (11)

“Hello, doctor.”

After silently staring at Fu Qian for two seconds, Natalie greeted him with a graceful demeanor, as if meeting for the first time.

Her pale face showed no trace of makeup, her gaze slightly unfocused, embodying the look of someone abruptly awakened from rest.

The ferocious posture of the Spirit of Vengeance was now nowhere to be seen.

She clearly didn’t want anyone to know about the late-night discussion earlier.

And it was safe to assume that, on her way here, this intellectual had pondered deeply over why she’d been invited, likely guessing at countless scenarios.

Yet she remained unable to figure it out.

…

Fu Qian certainly wasn’t bored from a Long Night and whimsically decided to drag her into watching a family drama unfold.

His earlier “examination” of Jane, to be honest, had exceeded expectations.

After noticing the changes in her, certain elements felt disturbingly anthropomorphic. He attempted to use the Clear Dream Ring to aid his thoughts—and surprisingly, a “person” appeared directly.

Fu Qian didn’t hastily categorize it as an illusion. Its inexplicable and intangible nature made it uncannily reminiscent of the abandoned entity Natalie had recently mentioned.

Considering Jane’s encounter with the dense fog outside the city, one possibility couldn’t be ignored: the abnormalities surrounding her might stem from the abandoned entity, which even the Sect feared.

That voice she heard wasn’t an illusion; it truly was this extraordinary being “speaking” next to her ear.

And it had followed her back on her return trip.

Such seamless progression successfully piqued Fu Qian’s interest.

If this hypothesis proved true, it would mean two things: first, the abandoned entity’s concealment capabilities were far more exaggerated than Natalie had described.

Close proximity beyond the dense fog, yet even the self-enhanced state of Inspiration Ninety-Nine couldn’t detect its presence.

Second, based on the preceding series of validations, its means of influence was clearly not mere destructive contamination; instead, it bore resemblance to a decree.

This similarity, to some extent, aligned with Natalie’s description—that it could bypass the protective effects of the Star Law.

Such a distinctive existence seemed even more bizarre than the world loopholes Fu Qian had originally planned to seek out.

From every perspective, it was impossible to ignore.

Fu Qian certainly didn’t ignore it; he decisively chose to bring the home tutor into the mix, unleashing a storm of collective brainstorming in its most intense manner to garner new insights.

…

“Natalie?”

The next moment, staring at the home tutor, Fu Qian revealed a scene of effortless surprise, calling her name directly.

Time was precious; he had no intention of participating in this game of pretense with her. Turbocharged reasoning and fueling collective intellect were far more urgent pursuits.

As expected, the moment he uttered the name, the room fell silent. The air grew heavy, dense like a compressed cylinder ready to combust at any moment.

Fu Qian even heard the faint conversations in the room behind him come to a halt.

No surprises there—he had deliberately controlled the volume to ensure everyone present understood his prior acquaintance with the tutor.

It proved worthwhile; Natalie did not disappoint his effort. Amid Mr. Winslow’s stunned gaze scanning back and forth, Natalie’s face underwent several changes before she finally steadied herself.

“You know me?”

The next second, her lips parted slightly to respond in an obviously genuine tone of surprise, even sparing a glance toward Mr. Winslow, her expression faintly tinged with guilt.

She appeared apologetic for her name being exposed, as it might compromise secrecy.

“We met not too long ago. But you probably don’t know my name.”

Fu Qian smirked faintly, waving his hand vaguely, before directly gesturing toward his rear.

“Now isn’t the time to discuss this. I just found the coincidence remarkable. Shall we begin?”

His last remark was directed at Mr. Winslow.

“Sure.”

The latter’s gaze flickered, his thoughts visibly racing. Yet ultimately, he nodded at Fu Qian’s suggestion.

…

Amid the faintly peculiar atmosphere, the group within Miss Winslow’s bedroom continued to grow.

Natalie, having seemingly adjusted her frame of mind, greeted Mrs. Winslow and Jane in turn, her demeanor entirely unruffled.

She even noticed Jane’s now-normal eyes, eliciting a sincere expression of joy.

“Doctor, if there’s anything you’d like to understand, you may ask now.”

Mr. Winslow did not conceal his inner impatience. Enduring the greeting ritual, he promptly hurried them along with a direct remark.

“It’s quite simple, really. I want to know if you noticed anything unusual during the event you attended.”

Fu Qian clearly didn’t mind his urgency and immediately posed the question to the three involved individuals.

Unusual…

The three women exchanged uncertain looks.

“Could you be more specific?”

Of course, Natalie lived up to expectations, as the most proactive among them.

“Anything—people, objects, conversations…”

Rather than rushing to engage the Clear Dream Ring, Fu Qian opted for verbal guidance, letting the group contribute freely.

Certainly, for Natalie, Fu Qian believed her level of effort wouldn’t waver because of this.

“It was just a typical gathering. Almost everyone there was familiar, and the topics discussed were fairly routine.”

She frowned slightly as she reminisced.

“As for objects… In the latter half of the event, we toured the host’s private collection, spanning paintings and sculptures. The quantity was rather substantial, and the age of some pieces was quite old. Oh—”

Suddenly, Natalie seemed to recall something, turning her gaze toward Jane on the bed.

“Miss’s eyes seemed to have been uncomfortable at one point.”

“How could that be? When did that happen?”

The first to respond was Mrs. Winslow, looking at her daughter in astonishment. She clearly hadn’t been informed beforehand.

“It was fairly late; many people had already gone off to rest. But Miss appeared unusually captivated by a painting in the corner, observing it alone for an extended time.”

Facing her mother’s scrutiny, Jane’s complexion appeared pale, devoid of any inclination to speak. Noticing this, Natalie continued explaining on her behalf.

“But when I went to check on her again, I found her still standing there—eyes closed. I asked her what was wrong, and… she said her eyes felt a bit uncomfortable but were already much better. She also requested I avoid telling anyone.”

“Since she seemed fine afterward, I…” Natalie trailed off.

You all…

Mrs. Winslow clearly felt displeased about this matter being kept from her. Yet instead of confronting Natalie, she anxiously fixed her gaze on her daughter.

“Exactly how did they feel uncomfortable?”

“Like suddenly blacking out for a moment. My first reaction was that perhaps the lighting might’ve been too dim. But I wasn’t particularly frightened—I just closed my eyes to rest briefly.”

Obviously not wanting her mother to worry, Jane carefully explained while clinging to her hand.

Was it truly that seamless?

However, the recounting of events left Fu Qian sighing in amazement as he reactivated the Clear Dream Ring.

“Was it the same as earlier… Wanting some peace and quiet, to close your eyes and rest?”

Without hesitation, he posed the question next.