Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1263: Chapter 1261: Loss of Image (5)

Never doubt a well-trained individual.

Under the uncertain and suspicious gazes of the Winslow couple, Fu Qian let out another cold snort.

Observe, listen, taste—once these steps are executed, no evil can remain hidden; it will eventually reveal its flaws.

Of course, the flaws this time seemed to be a bit too glaring.

The Winslow couple’s worries were indeed justified—the phenomenon troubling their beloved daughter truly belonged to the realm of the Transcendent.

Yet, unlike the mutation of flesh and blood, this influence seemed to be imposed on Jane’s entire concept as a person.

It was akin to a solitary, special filter applied to her.

Fu Qian mentally revisited his earlier observations.

In fact, without needing sharper sensory tools, the obvious temporal distortion caused by the Eternal Clarity Mind was evidence enough of the filter’s high-level Ranking.

When contrasted, this undoubtedly reaffirmed the previous conjectures surrounding the decree.

…

The fact that the Blasphemous Blood was related to the decree was hardly comforting news.

The warehouse had tasked him with purifying it, and such a high-ranking existence clearly posed far greater challenges to handle.

Certainly, that was considering the perspective of Miss Winslow.

For himself, however, this absolutely counted as a monumental discovery.

The goal of this mission had never been about merely clocking in for work but was instead about leveraging institutional resources for personal gain.

His previous experiences had already verified that the decree played a foundational role in this world’s existence, and what he sought were loopholes akin to that of a pocket watch, through which instability could be exacerbated.

When compared to the Celestial Sphere Sect, which transforms decrees into power, the Blasphemous Blood before him seemed far more sinister.

Truly, it was a refreshing revelation.

Speaking of Miss Winslow—a mere Mortal—being subject to this kind of extraordinary attention was genuinely abnormal.

“Jane, just now—”

In the midst of his musings, Mrs. Winslow’s words abruptly stopped.

Evidently, some change she had just witnessed disturbed her already fragile emotions, causing her to slip and call out her daughter’s name.

After an instinctive silence, her first reaction was to glance at Fu Qian.

Unfortunately, Fu Qian seemed completely indifferent, showing no interest whatsoever in knowing the patient’s name.

Breathing a small sigh of relief, Mrs. Winslow turned to her husband, only to find him narrowing his eyes and nodding slightly, signaling her not to worry.

“Did you feel any changes on your body just now?”

Now noticeably more at ease, Mrs. Winslow finally looked at her daughter and cautiously asked.

“Changes? There wasn’t anything uncomfortable.”

Jane seemed slightly confused by the question, instinctively shaking her head to avoid worrying her parents.

“Did you feel, perhaps, something about your eyes…”

Mrs. Winslow hesitated halfway through her statement, then glanced uncertainly at her husband.

Clearly, the fleeting beauty she had just witnessed had left her doubting its reality.

“Did you feel your eyes got a little better just now?”

It turned out her husband harbored the same fleeting impression and unreservedly posed the question more directly.

“No…”

Jane was visibly bewildered by her parents’ tone.

“We… It seemed like we saw your eyes improve for a moment.”

Mrs. Winslow couldn’t resist gesturing toward her daughter’s face.

“Really?”

Jane’s expression instantly brightened with disbelief, and she pulled out a small mirror, only for her hope to dim moments later.

“Could it be… I just blinked?”

In disappointment, her voice grew even more subdued than before.

“Couldn’t be. Doctor… it was you who treated her just now, wasn’t it?”

The reaction visibly broke Mrs. Winslow’s heart, prompting her to confirm with Fu Qian while her gaze couldn’t help but be drawn to the bell in his hand.

Clearly, the overly peculiar diagnostic method made her doubt herself as she asked.

“Not exactly.”

Fu Qian shook his head and stowed away the Eternal Clarity Mind.

“But it did seem there was some reaction. I already have some preliminary thoughts on your daughter’s condition.”

“…Doctor, are you saying she is indeed ill?”

Despite Fu Qian’s rejection, Mr. Winslow’s spirit perked up upon hearing this.

Unlike his wife, even after witnessing their daughter’s transformation, his expression remained grave, his gaze fixed almost exclusively on the bell in Fu Qian’s hand.

He couldn’t help it; the method was simply too much like that of a Shen Gun.

If this wasn’t an illusion and the technique turned out to truly be effective, then it virtually confirmed his daughter’s predicament in reverse.

This left him deeply troubled, until he heard Fu Qian’s response.

“What else?”

Fu Qian looked at him with slight curiosity.

“Wasn’t that why you contacted me?”

Indeed, but…

Fu Qian’s questioning momentarily left the Winslow couple speechless, unsure whether he was being sincere or deliberately evasive.

Regardless, this exchange seemed to be the most fitting scenario.

“Indeed, I apologize for my earlier confusion… So what exactly is my daughter suffering from?”

Mr. Winslow immediately followed up.

“Just preliminary ideas as of now—it’ll require further test results for confirmation.”

Unfortunately, Fu Qian maintained his strict professional demeanor, refusing to draw conclusions lightly.

“So I really did… But I distinctly heard the sound of the bell…”

Even so, this conversation left the patient visibly dazed, muttering softly to herself.

“It’s still uncertain. Rest for a little while longer.”

Mr. Winslow didn’t let his daughter speak further, advising her to continue resting before turning to Fu Qian.

“You’ve worked hard from earlier to now; let’s wait outside.”

His tone was caring yet firm.

This seemed to indicate he still harbored some degree of caution, unwilling to let Fu Qian perform anything more outrageous now that the situation was trending positively.

“Alright.”

Fu Qian readily accepted the suggestion.

Just as being a doctor meant that his greatest significance to the Winslow family was confirming the illness rather than curing it—

Being the mission operative meant that the primary significance of this endeavor was never about completing the mission itself.

The preliminary interactions with Miss Winslow had already provided sufficient information.

The next task at hand was to maximize the use of the few hours remaining before sunrise.

For instance, investigating the potential cause of Jane’s condition and understanding precisely what might happen if she maintained her current state until dawn.

The answers to these two questions seemed capable of effectively aiding him in better pressurizing this Nightmare, ensuring more loopholes were forced open.

…

“Apologies for the simplicity; please make yourself comfortable here for now.”

Mr. Winslow clearly hoped to keep this house call as discreet as possible. Despite his butler waiting outside, he personally escorted Fu Qian to the other side of the mansion.

After arranging everything, he swiftly departed.

Understated hospitality.

Surveying the exquisitely luxurious room before him, Fu Qian merely nodded slightly without further comment. In the next moment, he walked to the window and gazed up at the bright and pristine night sky.