Eldritch Horror Theatre

Deity-Grade Insight. It had been a while since he last used this ability.

To fully utilize his resources, Fu Qian already had a plan in mind for how to handle the Eye of the Punished Consort.

On the one hand, it aligned with his previous theory of Turning Waste into Treasure. On the other, it served as a small experiment.

If the other eyeball still shared a connection with Excellency Nepheli, he might just be able to sense a trace of her current condition through it.

Furthermore, at the end of his time in the Ash Sea, the effects of Etched Intellect had been reclaimed by His Excellency the Fool, conveniently freeing up a slot for Insight.

Although he didn’t hold much hope, if he actually managed to extract a skill from it, he wouldn’t face the risk of being forced to discard it.

In short, Fu Qian had already made his decision. The only thing left to consider was when and where to process it.

Figuring there was no time like the present, he had already noted this place as highly suitable while looking for tea leaves earlier.

That feeling had only grown stronger after his chat with the second-rate diviner.

Compared to his usual haunts, this location was clearly much better suited for quietly having a bite to eat.Now, he might as well see just how much nutrition was left inside it—oh?

It wasn’t a particularly high Rank item to begin with, and it practically melted the moment it entered his mouth.

However, the delightful notification of a new skill never arrived. Instead, his vision suddenly blurred in a manner vaguely reminiscent of food poisoning.

”Are you feeling any better?”

Someone was actually whispering to him in concern.

”Everyone is still waiting.”

...

Everyone?

Keeping a group of people waiting was indeed a bit improper. He really needed to do his best to overcome this difficulty.

Of course, before doing that, it was best to figure out exactly what everyone was waiting for.

The continuous voices beside his ear undoubtedly let his imagination run wild.

As Fu Qian marveled internally, his vision suddenly cleared. This was...?

The situation didn’t seem too serious. There was even a vaguely festive atmosphere.

And the sight that greeted his eyes a moment later made things feel increasingly interesting.

Fu Qian realized his perspective was tilted, as if he had fallen asleep with his face pressed against a table.

But even from such an awkward angle, it wasn’t hard to notice that he was currently dressed in formal attire.

Shoulder pads, a soft cap, a velvet cloak...

Even if the style was undeniably classical, he could still feel the sense of grand formality.

More importantly, the swathes of vivid red naturally brought a certain traditional ceremony to mind—a wedding?

...

Just what was going on lately? First the Sanctuary, and now a joyous occasion. Were all the auspicious days bunching together?

Having easily reached that conclusion, Fu Qian couldn’t help but mentally mock his recent run of luck.

Of course, his internal complaints didn’t delay his assessment of his current situation.

Judging solely by what was in front of him, the slim chance had not played out in his favor. This use of Insight had failed to grant him a new ability.

At the same time, he hadn’t come up completely empty-handed. The final ripple of the Eye of the Punished Consort seemed to have brought him into a special pocket of space and time.

It actually wasn’t too hard to understand. After all, his first encounter with Senior Liliana had strictly been a similar experience.

He had used Insight on an ear stud related to her, and the very next moment, he had heard her crying.

Of course, the place he had arrived at this time clearly wasn’t the Deity Burial Ground. The worldly atmosphere here was far too strong.

But that was exactly the intriguing part. Beneath that worldly atmosphere, his surroundings actually gave him a faint sense of familiarity.

Excessively old-fashioned attire, luxurious yet understated hanging curtains, highly distinctive decor... Ehm Palace?

A specific location suddenly came to mind; the style was genuinely quite similar.

Furthermore, based on the theories he had deduced at the end of his last task, Ehm Palace really did seem to share a deep connection with the Punished Consort.

Besides that, he actually knew of a rather famous joyous occasion associated with that place—the Blood Wedding.

...

Drawing a fortune when he had nothing else to do had its benefits. It seemed he had hit the jackpot.

Making a rapid judgment in his mind, Fu Qian let out a long, internal sigh.

He had envisioned all sorts of possibilities regarding the outcome of his Insight.

But if he could truly catch a glimpse of the grand spectacle of the Blood Wedding, he found that far more satisfying than merely acquiring a new ability.

As a famous supernatural incident—one widely considered to be the turning point that triggered the Laria Royal Court’s decline from prosperity—the exact details of what had occurred back then had been enthusiastically discussed for years.

Not to mention, he had already grasped some unique details during his previous string of investigations.

Such as the Laria Family’s special God-Man physique, the secret of the ”face,” the faint connection between a certain face and the First Generation Dark Moon... and those bouncing brains.

That was right. One of his karmic ties to Ehm Palace hadn’t even originated in the Bookstore World, but rather in the place he had lived for years.

The Bronze Madam, suspected to have been left behind by his predecessor Ji Feng, hadn’t just brought him into a unique version of Ehm Palace. After a bit of maneuvering, he had even acquired a Bronze Circlet that could only be activated by the Ji Clan bloodline.

Because of all this, the Laria Family—which had long since become an unremarkable house—was now thoroughly entangled with a myriad of crucial elements.

Furthermore, if the Eye of the Punished Consort could bring him to the Blood Wedding, it drastically increased the probability that the punished victim was that very same pitiful bride.

In short, if given the opportunity, Fu Qian was highly interested in taking a stroll around the wedding.

The only problem was... he couldn’t seem to stroll around right now.

Having realized his face was pressed against the table from the very first moment, Fu Qian noted that he still hadn’t been able to sit up straight.

The reason for this was quite unique. Although he had tangibly entered this body’s perspective, it seemed he had only been granted read-only access.

In other words, he was stuck watching a cutscene from start to finish. He had absolutely no option to interact and couldn’t interfere with the plot in the slightest.

”Time is truly running out. Do you need me to come in and help? If you don’t say anything, I’m really coming in.”

The voice outside continued to urge him. He could tell it was a young woman, and she genuinely sounded anxious.

I’ll be troubling you, then...

Fu Qian gave it a try and confirmed that he had absolutely no control over the vocal cords either. He could only reply silently in his mind.

”No need. I’ll be out right away.”

However, right at that moment, a voice actually rang out from behind him, answering the person at the door.

...

There had been someone else in the room this whole time? And they sounded equally young?

People were naturally on edge about things behind them, especially when they lacked the strength to even turn their heads.

The sudden twist was undoubtedly jarring. But as Fu Qian processed this, the person behind him seemed to take two steps closer. A moment later, the voice spoke directly into his ear.

”Apologies, but it seems yours is the only cloak around. I’ll need to borrow it.”