Eldritch Horror Theatre

The terms were generous, deliberately laid out right before the decision had to be made.

Rather than being offered to her, they were really meant for the Rebirth Club.

Ji Liushuang looked at Ji Tong with a calm expression.

He was obviously holding out for a scenario where everyone came away happy.

The hidden dangers in Ji Ping’s ability seemed to have been neutralized. Ji Tong clearly leaned toward keeping it around as a decent measure of Combat Power, as well as a specimen.

The condition for this exchange was control over the Gospel Team.

One could imagine this would face almost no resistance within the Ji Clan.

Because fundamentally, it aligned with their original plan; the only difference was changing out the fake Rebirth Club for the real one.

This was likely why Ji Tong dared to offer such terms so directly.

The only remaining point of concern might actually be her.After all, she had always been subconsciously excluded from family affairs, but the halo of the Rebirth Club’s Saintess should be enough to offset that now.

With Fu Qian gone, Ji Liushuang stood at the center of attention, her gaze steady in deep thought. She didn’t show a hint of stage fright, nor was she in any rush to answer.

A moment later, her gaze fell onto Ji Ping’s hand, and her next words shocked the room.

”That is a dead person’s hand.”

”...Its original owner is indeed likely dead.”

Ji Ping clearly hadn’t expected the conversation to veer in this direction. He fought the urge to pull his hand back and forced a smile as he explained.

”Not ’likely.’ You know it for a fact.”

Ji Liushuang shook her head and looked over at Ji Xun and the rest of them.

”You all know it, too.”

”I never witnessed the procedure, but I can still deduce a few possibilities for how its miraculous effects were achieved after it was grafted on.”

”This hand came from the corpse of a dead Ji Clan member, someone who possessed a bloodline talent and could activate Ash Descent on their own.”

Her gaze swept across their faces one by one.

”You can all guess this, but you simply maintain a tacit understanding without words.”

...

If this was the legendary tactic of luring the enemy in deep, it certainly required a highly cooperative opponent.

Within Silver Mist Manor, Fu Qian’s figure flickered in and out of sight, sprinting rapidly through the tranquil scenery.

With the help of Blood Crusade, even the security of a top-tier noble family was virtually nonexistent at this moment.

Following the traces of the Thread of Attachment in his perception, Fu Qian confirmed he was rapidly closing in on his target, and also realized he had sprinted quite a distance.

By now, he had already bypassed the spot where he and Ji Liushuang had turned back the previous night, and the target didn’t seem far off.

Clang! Clang!

The next instant, Fu Qian flicked his fingers repeatedly, striking away two Spikes that seemed to thrust out of the void.

Pure white but unreflective, those two Spikes looked more like bone than metal, and the force behind them was surprisingly heavy upon contact.

Hmph!

The closer one got to the target, the easier it was to become anxious—making it the perfect time for a sneak attack. Did they think he didn’t know that?

However, this insidious and hidden ambush was easily blocked by Fu Qian. He hadn’t even used Blood Crusade to dodge.

Of course, the price of this ease was that two of his fingers were instantly reduced to a bloody mist.

Yet, even as his fingers rapidly regenerated, Fu Qian’s speed didn’t drop in the slightest. He was practically a ruthless killing machine.

Trying to run after offending Lu Mou.

After today, the whole world would know the consequences of standing against my Rebirth Club.

Five seconds later, this sprint—much like the Reaper’s Footsteps—finally came to an end above a stretch of clear blue water.

His figure skidded to a sudden halt. Standing on a stone platform almost level with the water’s surface, Fu Qian stomped his foot down without hesitation.

Boom!

As if a bomb had been detonated, the stone platform and the deep lake water blasted outward in all directions simultaneously. In the center of the terrifying, layered waves, even the fine pebbles at the bottom of the lake saw the light of day once more.

”Demigod Lu, you’re getting on in years; there’s no need for such a temper...”

The next moment, a voice courting death rang out from a giant Cocoon floating in midair.

Perhaps because it had been prematurely exposed to the sunlight, the golden flames dancing across the surface of the translucent Cocoon were now burning even more brilliantly.

As the thing inside struggled violently, the flames even flickered into bizarre, uncanny patterns.

It seemed this thing wasn’t quite adapted to the outside environment, which was why it had to parasitize within the Ash Descent, right?

Fu Qian silently summarized his observations before calling out.

”Malfoy?”

”How do you know the name Malfoy?”

The voice opposite him was instantly taken aback.

”Your name is actually Malfoy?”

Fu Qian was momentarily surprised himself.

”No, I’m Malka...”

”Then who is Malfoy?”

”I am Malfoy...”

The next second, a ghostly voice sounded from behind him, accompanied by two more Spikes thrusting from different angles.

Clang! Clang!

Two more crisp rings echoed.

Fu Qian’s newly regenerated fingers exploded into bloody mist once more. However, having suffered two consecutive blows, the Spikes finally gave out and shattered.

A figure over two meters tall and as thin as a reed emerged from the void.

Looking at that long, horse-like face, Fu Qian actually saw traces of Brother Marco once again.

They were actually three brothers?

A family with two Demigods, but parents who were terrible at naming?

To think the Origin Council had managed to recruit such a talented family?

”Elder Lu indeed has a well-deserved reputation.”

The one calling himself Malfoy praised him upon appearing, simultaneously looking down to examine himself.

The Spikes that Fu Qian had just shattered with a double strike were actually the tips of his two long, narrow arms.

They weren’t fingers; his entire arms had twisted and compressed into that shape.

Right now, they were also regenerating automatically.

Of course, compared to Fu Qian, the efficiency was far too lacking.

”It’s just a pity that you fell slightly short and didn’t directly hammer that trash Malka to death.”

”Don’t rush, I’m getting to it, aren’t I?”

Ignoring Malka’s clamor of ”I won’t die even if you do” from the other side, Fu Qian’s regenerated fingers transformed directly into sharp claws.

”You’re actually planning to take on both of us and kill us all?”

Malfoy finally looked a bit surprised.

”You seem to have a deep prejudice against the Council!”

”Huh?”

Fu Qian feigned equal surprise.

”Didn’t you fake the name of my Rebirth Club just to draw me out for a spar—to determine the victor, and decide life and death?”

”...That is indeed one of our contingency plans.”

Malfoy gave him a deep look.

”However, at the very beginning, we weren’t too certain if you would actually show up.”

”Understood. So the most ideal situation would be for everything to go smoothly, allowing you to easily take control of the Gospel Team and successfully infiltrate the Council’s influence into a faction dominated by ordinary people.”

Fu Qian stroked the bottom edge of his mask, looking thoughtful.

”Correct.”

”Even if that failed, and bad luck led to discovery by the Ji Clan or being targeted by the Night Watchers, you could simultaneously help the Rebirth Club draw the hatred of two major factions?”

”Correct.”

From the sound of it, Malfoy was quite appreciative of Fu Qian’s clear line of thought.

”So now we’re in the third situation. You got caught directly during the operation. What do you plan to do?”

”Isn’t it obvious?”

Facing Fu Qian’s question, Malfoy let out a strange cackle. However, before he could fully express his emotions, Malka cut in from the other side.

”Of course, we... lure you out, and kill you.”

The one with only a face remaining spoke with a voice dripping with ferocity and madness.

”What do you think we’re doing right now? Even for the slimmest possibility, we would make ample preparations.”

”You might not fear two Demigods, but what about a God?”