Eldritch Horror Theatre - Ch. 177: Secret War (Part 5)
*What? He just admitted it!*
Fu Qian's abrupt statement instantly shocked everyone present.
"To save everyone some effort, since we're all so busy."
Fu Qian looked up, revealing a somewhat neurotic smile.
"That's right, I arranged everything, and I killed the people. Ruan Shuo was nothing but a pawn controlled by me to be a scapegoat."
"It's just a pity—"
He sighed.
"I calculated everything, but I didn't anticipate Vice Dean Li ending his seclusion early. It truly is heaven's will for me to perish."
"Vice Dean Li's swordsmanship is divine. I know I am no match. You can execute me on the spot; I absolutely will not resist."
"You... why would you do this?"
After Fu Qian finished his speech, Lanaya, standing to the side, was utterly dumbfounded and couldn't help but ask.
"There's no point in saying more. Make your move!"
Fu Qian didn't answer her; he just looked at Li Weixuan with a smiling expression.
Just as "It" wouldn't die if Li Weixuan killed him earlier, Fu Qian strongly suspected that even if he died now, he wouldn't truly perish in a fundamental sense.
There was even a possibility that his consciousness would merge into the Swarm, turning into an existence like "It" and making the corruption entirely uncleansable.
The reasoning lay in two points.
First, he had been infused with Sword Intent; second, he was aware of the Swarm's existence.
Neither of these two points could be missing.
This was also why "It" was so sensitive to a Blasphemer; simply being aware of "Its" existence was a form of corruption.
Otherwise, "It" wouldn't have needed to beat around the bush to induce him to detach voluntarily. "It" could have just waited for the Demigod Li Weixuan to emerge from seclusion and repeated what happened last time.
Unless killing him while he was still part of the Swarm would result in an outcome "It" found unacceptable.
Of course, these were just guesses. It was also possible that "It" was playing a deeper game, deliberately inducing him to confess his "crimes" to borrow a blade to kill him.
But this guess was completely worth the gamble. He might even get the chance to experience what it felt like to be a conceptual creature, which was much more valuable than a bit of Sanity Value.
"You confess?"
Li Weixuan stared at Fu Qian with a chilling expression, and Jian Jingzheng immediately took a defensive stance.
"I do."
"Why?"
"Are you also going to ask such a question?"
Fu Qian shook his head helplessly.
"It's really nothing. Just a little research hobby. I'm quite curious about this thing called Sword Intent."
*Research, curiosity...*
Both Lanaya and Jian Jingzheng were startled, recalling Fu Qian's previous action of sneaking into the Sword Pavilion.
"Just to satisfy your personal curiosity, you treat so many human lives as a trivial game?"
Li Weixuan's hand once again rested on his waist, filling the room with a stern, murderous aura.
"That's merely the thought process of you ordinary mortals."
Fu Qian snorted.
"What makes you think this is a game? There is nothing greater than exploring the mysteries of life and power."
Looking every bit the irredeemable fanatic, he sprinted down the path of drawing aggro.
"Their sacrifice is a brilliant star on the path of exploring supernatural powers, destined to shine through the annals of history! They are true saints!"
Having decided to flirt with death, Fu Qian went full throttle, perfectly replicating the tone of the old man from the Rebirth Club with a face full of pious sanctity.
"Fools, our cause is righteous!"
...
*This guy is an absolute lunatic!*
After listening to Fu Qian's ravings, Jian Jingzheng finally snapped back to his senses and made a quick judgment.
*I knew those madmen from the Revelation Institute would eventually cause trouble, yet the Academy has always indulged them.*
He thought indignantly while remaining on full alert.
He had always categorized the research fanatics at the Revelation Institute as incurable—and extremely dangerous!
Their abnormal mindset made them genuinely believe there was nothing wrong with their actions, and ordinary morals and rules couldn't bind them at all.
In a sense, they didn't even value their own lives.
"Aren't you going to strike? Then I'll be heading back."
Seeing that Li Weixuan, whose killing intent had maxed out, still hadn't made a move, Fu Qian added more fuel to the fire.
*This guy truly has a death wish!*
Lanaya marveled while watching Li Weixuan. She knew the latter's strength; he was practically the number one figure below the Demigod realm in the Academy.
Though Fu Qian was strong, once Li Weixuan made a move, he would definitely not survive.
Just as this thought arose, Li Weixuan moved.
A mighty, indestructible sword aura swept forth. At the moment of the strike, even someone as strong as Lanaya couldn't help but feel a hint of suffocation.
Conversely, his target, Fu Qian, remained completely motionless, offering no reaction whatsoever.
Just as Fu Qian was about to be pulverized under Li Weixuan's attack, the sharp streaks of sword aura suddenly changed direction and crashed into the ground.
The area around where Fu Qian stood was instantly torn into crisscrossing trenches, perfectly avoiding his position and leaving him completely unharmed.
*Looks like my gamble paid off!*
Amidst the dead silence of the room, Fu Qian wore a profound, meaningful smile.
This risk had largely verified his earlier deduction.
It was now almost certain that everything "It" had done prior was to induce him to sever his connection with the Sword Intent and leave the "Swarm."
*Phew!*
Li Weixuan, who had "spared" Fu Qian's life, also let out a breath.
"I, Li Weixuan, am absolutely not a man who fails to distinguish right from wrong, nor do I unjustly wrong the innocent. You have one more chance. The next sword strike will not hit the ground..."
*Li Weixuan looked ready to eat someone alive just a moment ago, and now he suddenly changes his tune?*
Lanaya felt that the current scene had completely surpassed her comprehension.
However, what she expected even less was that Fu Qian didn't say a word and simply turned and walked out.
Given a sliver of survival by Li Weixuan, he completely ignored it and did exactly what he said he would do.
*If you don't make a move, I'm leaving*—and he really left!
Lanaya and Jian Jingzheng both fixed their gazes on Li Weixuan's face. Yet, until Fu Qian's figure disappeared, Li Weixuan didn't move an inch.
...
Under the current circumstances, Fu Qian was no longer in a hurry.
He knew very well that after probing and realizing "It" didn't dare to kill him directly, the one who should be anxious now was the other party.
"It" would definitely make a new move soon.
He just needed to be careful not to be subtly guided, and Observe Quietly.
So far, "It" had exposed a lot, but not enough. For example, he still wasn't sure exactly how to completely destroy "It."
...
In reality, the other party acted faster than expected.
Fu Qian returned to his office at the Revelation Institute, but after resting for less than half an hour, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in!"
Fu Qian answered, and immediately after, the office door was pushed open.
A wooden-faced Ji Liushuang walked in with her head lowered, not saying a word, and closed the door behind her.
*Clang!*
The next moment, without any hesitation, she drew her longsword and slashed at Fu Qian.
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