Eldritch Horror Theatre - Ch. 161: Legacy of the Sword Heart (VIII)
"You don't need to come over for now. Wait there for my notice."
The news Fu Qian brought was obviously not good.
Lanaya's mood grew even heavier. After a long silence, she left him with this instruction.
It seems there's no progress on the tracking over there!
Fu Qian thought silently to himself.
Investigating the students' profiles wouldn't meet much resistance, but given the sheer number of them, the process couldn't be fast. Fu Qian chose to go back and rest first.
Speaking of which, this Sword Intent was simply a bug. Just comprehending it could allow a Low Tier Beyonder to immediately possess lethal power beyond their tier, and even clear the path to becoming a Demigod.
A standard Child of Destiny template. Fu Qian now fully understood the reason behind the Sword Institute's prosperity.
Although the probability wasn't too high proportionally, no one dislikes winning the lottery, especially when following the standard cultivation path wasn't bad either.
...
After resting for two hours, Fu Qian received a notification from Lanaya.
"I contacted the people at the Sword Institute and checked the information of all the students."
The head of the Discipline Department spoke rapidly on the other end.
"The number of people is massive, making travel logs hard to compile. Considering the Sword Pavilion is currently open, I had them check the pavilion's entry and exit records.
Right now, a student named Ruan Shuo seems suspicious. He left the Sword Pavilion very early today."
"Next, I need you to confirm two things: first, whether he is currently in the Academy, and second, if there are any suspicious Beyonder Materials in his residence."
"Beyonder Materials are pointless to look for, right? If I were him, I absolutely wouldn't bring that much stuff back. Digging a hole nearby and burying it would work," Fu Qian said directly.
"Of course I know that... but the Sword Institute currently has a big problem with us. It would be best if we could have some evidence."
"In fact, you can't even act alone this time. The Sword Institute has demanded to participate in the investigation. Someone should be coming to find you shortly."
"I understand."
Fu Qian wasn't surprised by this. With things having developed to this point, regardless of the motive, the Sword Institute would definitely vie for control.
"That's the basic situation. Contact me anytime if there are problems." Lanaya sighed on the other end. "I hope your guess is wrong..."
...
As it turned out, the people from the Sword Institute arrived indeed very quickly.
Less than half an hour after Lanaya finished her briefing, a knock came at the door.
"Come in."
Fu Qian answered, and the door was slowly pushed open as a man walked in.
The newcomer was around forty years old. He wasn't wearing the iconic uniform of the Sword Institute; instead, he wore a well-tailored smoke-gray trench coat. Coupled with his meticulously groomed hair, he gave off a quiet yet sharp impression.
It was just that the trench-coat brother didn't look too friendly.
"Professor Fu Qian? I am Jian Jingzheng from the Sword Institute." The trench-coat brother sized Fu Qian up and down. "I heard one of our students is suspected of committing murder outside. I've come specifically to assist with the investigation."
"Sure, just remember to follow my orders later."
Fu Qian was not surprised at all by his attitude. And having absolutely no intention of playing nice, he replied lazily.
...
Jian Jingzheng's eyelids twitched.
"Without further delay, let's head out immediately. Mainly because the air over here at the Revelation side is just a bit too 'fresh'." He sniffed the air exaggeratedly.
What do you know? This is the stench of a Demigod!
Fu Qian glanced at him, knowing that the Sword Institute had always disliked the Revelation faction. If he remembered correctly, this guy had even patted his clothes in disgust after walking through the door.
Led by Jian Jingzheng, Fu Qian returned to the Sword Institute's area once again and headed straight for the student dormitories.
Although the Sword Pavilion was already closed, there still weren't many people moving about outside. Most students were either resting or digesting the insights they had gained today.
"It's best to be quick. I don't wish to disturb the students' rest, though it seems Professor Fu quite enjoys being a disturbance..."
You're implying something there—because of the incident with Ji Liushuang?
That wouldn't be strange; with so many people watching earlier, it wouldn't be surprising if a gossipy instructor knew about it. And obviously, this guy had a deep prejudice against Revelation. Even on the way here, he spent more than half the time staring at Fu Qian's face.
As everyone knew, many of the mad researchers on the Revelation side liked to experiment on their own bodies, leading to quite a few having strange appearances. And his own excessively youthful appearance easily made people associate it with unconventional procedures.
"Relax, I am highly efficient." Fu Qian smiled enigmatically, signaling for Jian Jingzheng to go up and knock on the door.
Jian Jingzheng was clearly repulsed by being ordered around by Fu Qian, but unfortunately, he had no reason to refuse. Keeping a straight face, he went up and knocked on Ruan Shuo's door.
The door opened almost immediately. A rather sunny-looking young man poked his head out and was startled to see Jian Jingzheng.
"Mr. Jian, are you looking for me?"
"I'm not, but Professor Fu here is." Jian Jingzheng shot a glance at Fu Qian and walked straight into the room first.
Seeing the confused Ruan Shuo looking over, Fu Qian followed them inside.
"Student Ruan doesn't seem to be working very hard today!" After sitting down, Fu Qian looked at Ruan Shuo with a beaming smile.
"Are you referring to—" Ruan Shuo was a bit confused at first, then realization dawned on him. "You mean my leaving early?"
"Speaking of which, I was just feeling bad about it. This is my third year entering the Sword Pavilion. I planned to give it my all, but unexpectedly, I became agitated shortly after and couldn't concentrate. Forcing myself to calm down even made my blood boil, so when there was truly no other way, I came out early."
Ruan Shuo looked full of regret. "I came back and rested for quite a while, and only now do I feel a bit better."
"There's no need to feel sad; your approach was correct." Hearing Ruan Shuo's explanation, Jian Jingzheng said directly. "Comprehending the Sword Dao strictly forbids impatience and restlessness, otherwise it harms both the body and the mind. Taking a short break when necessary is reasonable."
After saying that, he turned his head back to look at Fu Qian, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly. "Professor Fu, do you want to search for the Beyonder Materials?"
This guy was clearly mocking him.
Fu Qian glanced around. Ruan Shuo's room wasn't large, and the furnishings were completely normal. At a glance, the probability of hiding two warehouses worth of materials here was roughly zero.
"Sure, check carefully. Don't miss a single corner." Fu Qian waved his hand, signaling Jian Jingzheng to look around.
...
Seeing Fu Qian ride the momentum and treat him like a subordinate again, Jian Jingzheng couldn't help but feel his blood boil.
"Mr. Jian, I don't understand..." Beside them, Ruan Shuo wore an expression of innocent confusion.
"What's there to not understand." Jian Jingzheng snorted coldly. "This Professor Fu suspects that you looted two Warehouses and killed the guards. He came specifically to have you cooperate with the investigation."
Ignoring the petrified Ruan Shuo, he looked back at Fu Qian. "Professor Fu, I think the situation is quite clear? Can we go report back to Lanaya now?"
"Pretty much." Fu Qian looked at Ruan Shuo with a beaming smile and cracked his knuckles. "Student Ruan, are you ready to die?"
"What are you trying to do—"
Completely unexpected by Fu Qian's reaction, and triggered by the almost tangible killing intent, Jian Jingzheng subconsciously stood up. However, before he could finish his questioning, his body shuddered, and he was slapped flying right out.
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