Eldritch Horror Theatre

Perhaps walking the path of the jianghu was out of his hands, but since he already knew he would come to a bad end, he might as well be a little carefree.

Could you even call yourself young if you lacked a little arrogance?

Despite already being a prisoner, he showed absolutely no awareness of knowing the mandate of heaven. He even continued to spout nonsense and agitate the crowd. Without a doubt, Fu Qian had successfully made his image even worse.

His transcendent demeanor seemed to have thoroughly shocked Tailing Sister. She completely lost control of her expression in that moment, her face stiffening as she remained perfectly silent.

”It looks like... there’s no need to go back.”

Showing the true demeanor of a leader, Brother Thick Eyebrows was the one who finally broke the brief collective silence.

He even gestured for the two men beside Fu Qian to wait a moment as he spoke.

”After all, this place is perfectly suited for teaching people how to repent.”

With that said, he slowly stepped forward, a gleaming weapon suddenly appearing in his hand.

With a golden hilt and a silver blade, it was slightly shorter than a forearm. It flashed with a terrifyingly cold light—but it was unsharpened.Indeed. As somewhat of an expert in cold weapons, Fu Qian could tell at a glance that the blade was closer to a ceremonial tool. Its symbolic value far outweighed its practical use.

But that was exactly the problem.

Thanks to Fu Qian’s efforts, Brother Thick Eyebrows’ violent temper had escalated to a rather intense peak.

Even if they were essentially all just putting on a show, he couldn’t rule out the possibility of a bloody stunt in this situation.

And if a dull blade like that was really used to inflict three blades and six punctures, the pain would likely be more than doubled.

”What? If you have the guts, kill me right here. Then you can go on being stupid cowards.”

In light of this, Fu Qian sneered and dialed up the provocation.

When you ran in these circles, what did a little blood matter? How could he afford to lose face now?

’Motherfucker...’

In that moment, from the corner of his eye, Fu Qian sensed that even the Old Man Priest was struggling to maintain his composure.

It was clearly hard for him to believe that such masterful provocation came from someone who had been training right under his nose for nearly two and a half years.

”Everyone—”

But with the situation rapidly deteriorating, it seemed he finally felt the need to speak up.

”Shut up!”

However, he was cut off by a furious shout the moment he opened his mouth.

The shout wasn’t aimed at the highly respected elder, though, but at the relentlessly arrogant Fu Qian.

Moving with lightning speed, a figure charged forward alongside the furious shout. His target was clearly the gang traitor wearing a ”who dares to kill me” expression.

It seemed there were still righteous individuals within the Brotherhood who simply couldn’t stomach Fu Qian’s behavior any longer.

In his hand was a cold gleam far deadlier than Brother Thick Eyebrows’ weapon. The terrifying blade stabbed straight toward Fu Qian’s chest and abdomen—and successfully struck his arm.

...

Even though this body was younger and more agile, Fu Qian wasn’t arrogant enough to attempt bare-handedly disarming an advancing killer using flesh and blood he was still getting used to.

It wasn’t completely impossible, but the success rate was far from guaranteed.

Taking everything into consideration, Fu Qian opted for the safer approach. He turned sideways and used his arm as a shield.

Fighting through the intense pain, he tightly gripped the sharp blade embedded in his muscle and retreated. Only then did he get a clear look at his attacker.

Curly hair, narrow eyes, and no older than thirty.

He looked so young that it was impossible to tell how many cycles of samsara he had already endured.

However, judging by his attire, he must have entered the Realm of Bliss quite a long time ago.

This was where the charm of an ”eternal ego” showed itself. Even after all these years, his personality remained as fiery as ever.

Faced with a gang traitor spouting provocative nonsense, he had clearly been the first to lose his mind and impulsively strike to kill.

It wasn’t surprising. Fu Qian had seen countless similar examples in the transcendent world outside.

The material foundation determines the superstructure—a principle reflected across many different levels.

People always assumed that anyone who lived for hundreds of years through transcendent power would become shrewd and wise, or at least have eyes filled with the weariness of time, regardless of gender.

But the human mind wasn’t that simple. In many cases, ”maturity” was merely a byproduct of physical aging.

For someone who practically possessed eternal youth, their mental aging curve would likely be completely counterintuitive.

A certain shopaholic surnamed Yuan was a prime example.

All in all, Fu Qian wasn’t the least bit surprised to see such impulsive behavior among a group of wise elders. He had been fully prepared for it—after all, his relentless provocation had been aimed at precisely this outcome.

Of course, the man hadn’t exceeded his expected limits. His murderous intent was completely spent after that single strike. Facing an unfazed victim, he didn’t even try to keep up with Fu Qian’s retreat. Instead, he let go of the blade and stood there, stunned.

What a pity.

Fu Qian didn’t make a sound. He simply watched the man in silence as he casually pulled the weapon from his arm.

It was indeed much sharper than the blade Brother Thick Eyebrows held, leaving a clean, smooth wound.

Fortunately, his luck was good, and the arm hadn’t lost its mobility.

”Holen, you should have waited for my order.”

Before Fu Qian could really express his feelings, Brother Thick Eyebrows broke the silence first, reprimanding the impulsive swordsman.

Although he appeared to be scolding the young man named Holen, his tone carried a distinct threat. He kept his eyes locked on Fu Qian’s face the entire time he spoke.

”Indeed. Disobeying orders and acting without authorization—what’s the punishment for that?”

Despite their different stances, as people of the jianghu, they clearly shared a consensus on certain principles.

To everyone’s surprise, Fu Qian nodded. He wiped the bloody blade on his clothes and coldly questioned the man who had just stabbed him.

”You...”

Holen had just begun to calm down and humbly accept the reprimand. But with Fu Qian chiming in, his emotions violently flared up once more.

He turned to glare at Fu Qian, looking completely at a loss for how to express his boiling frustration.

”You deserve punishment.”

Showing his generous side, Fu Qian decided not to leave him struggling for an answer.

With a light flick of his wrist, a cold gleam swept across Holen’s exposed neck.

...

It was indeed a fine blade.

He hadn’t used much strength, yet it effortlessly sliced through flesh and drew blood.

With precise control, a mist of blood instantly sprayed into the air, splattering the Church’s Underground and the faces of those standing nearby in a hideous red.

Standing right in front of him, Fu Qian naturally bore the brunt of it. He didn’t flinch or dodge, allowing the hot blood to wash over his face. A moment later, he simply wiped the blade on a clean patch of his clothes again.

”I completely agree with something said earlier. This is a place for repentance.”

Twirling the gleaming blade in his hand, Fu Qian stared at the elites of the Brotherhood. His voice was chilling to the bone.

”Now, do you believe that I’ve found true wisdom here... the true path of redemption?”