Chapter 2968: Half-Art

The voice sounded completely unfamiliar.

It was resonant and full of vigor, though not particularly young. Even without seeing him, that calm, confident tone made it clear he had long occupied a high position—no ordinary figure.

Though this master seemed rather pleased with himself.

Ignoring Ian for the moment, Fu Qian turned to appraise the second person who had appeared in the room.

He truly didn't recognize him.

Thick eyebrows, black hair, and sharp eyes, dressed in an impeccably meticulous silver-gray suit. At first glance, he almost gave off the vibe of a domineering elderly CEO.

Honestly, seeing such an excellency in the Night Watchers' stronghold felt even more out of place than seeing Professor Ian.

With such distinctive features, he would have been hard to forget if they had ever crossed paths—so they had definitely never met.

He had to avoid falling into habitual thinking. Unlike Ian, this elderly gentleman had no prior ties to him; the man was simply one of the Night Watchers' own elites.

He had probably just overheard the conversation in the room, assumed he was the one being talked about, and stepped forward to chime in.

"Excellency Half-Art."

Su Gao's reaction confirmed as much. She showed not the slightest surprise at the newcomer, merely bowing slightly in greeting. Hmm...

He had to admit, the name was rather unique.

And even this naturally imposing old man didn't seem inclined to look down on Classmate Su Gao.

Though he didn't say much, he still gave a nod in acknowledgment.

"Professor Fu seems to have some opinions regarding the treatment here?"

Of course, his attention quickly returned to Fu Qian, a faint edge of hostility in his tone.

"Not at all. I was just telling Lily to continue cooperating. What I said earlier was actually directed at someone else."

The old men among the Night Watchers generally had bad tempers. Fu Qian had long grown accustomed to it.

Without missing a beat, he kept a perfectly unbothered expression and explained with a genial smile.

Especially since this one was a New God.

...

That was right. Among the Night Watchers he had encountered so far, Excellency Half-Art boasted the highest Rank. Even though Fu Qian currently maintained only a Tier 2 standard, his Vision Radar easily allowed him to spot the qualitative difference.

A living, breathing Tier 1 was standing right in front of him—and this wasn't even Soral, the chairman.

As expected of a faction capable of dominating an era and even strangling Excellency Father's Amnion to death. The phrase "experts common as clouds" was far from enough to describe them.

As for the little misunderstanding earlier, Fu Qian's explanation was entirely true; he really had been speaking to Ian at the time.

Yet strictly speaking, he wasn't entirely innocent in bringing this encounter on himself.

Excellency Half-Art had concealed himself exceptionally well. Coupled with the fact that his Transcendent Perception was not active, Fu Qian truly hadn't known the man was out there.

However, with something as bizarre as talking to thin air, how could he not have anticipated how those around him would react?

He had done it anyway partly to respond to Ian, of course, but also to flush out any lurkers.

After all, in his estimation, aside from the Needle Witch's little tricks, the chances of someone spying on them were not low.

It was a matter of hitting the date tree whether there were dates or not. If the walls really had ears, those two sentences directed at Ian could easily be interpreted as a sarcastic jab at the current treatment plan.

And it looked like someone really had taken it as an insult. Was Excellency Half-Art actually Lily's attending physician?

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lily didn't look surprised by the newcomer either; she definitely seemed familiar with him.

"So that's how it is."

In contrast, Old Man Half-Art seemed rather surprised by Fu Qian's response, apparently not expecting his excuse to be so clumsy.

Still, as a dignified New God, his bearing was leagues above the likes of Logan.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Excellency Half-Art swept his gaze over Fu Qian, then actually nodded, conceding that he had misunderstood Fu Qian's intent.

"Professor Fu arrived earlier than expected."

Having brushed past the topic, he casually dropped a classic line.

...

Fu Qian had been hearing that phrase a bit too often lately.

While technically just a polite greeting, it still managed to stir up a sense of emotion in him.

Starting from Chief Yuan, every single Night Watcher elite he encountered seemed to marvel at his enthusiasm for attending this banquet.

"The gains were also greater than expected."

Naturally, when it came to pleasantries, how could a dignified academic giant allow himself to be outdone? At that moment, Fu Qian gestured toward Lily's hands, indicating that this brief visit had already been a major eye-opener and well worth the early arrival.

As for Ian nearby, after being provoked earlier, he had not only grown much quieter, but his features were contorting into an unusual grotesqueness.

As he stared intently in their direction, he surprisingly emanated an increasingly distinct sense of disgust—how interesting.

Carefully savoring the sensation, Fu Qian found this change deeply intriguing.

As just one drop among the many bloody stains on his hands, no matter how much Professor Ian resented him—a talent heaven envied—it was hard for it to stir even a single ripple in Fu Qian's heart.

Precisely because of that, the feeling bubbling up inside him right now became somewhat extraordinary.

Being repulsive was also a skill. Professor Ian clearly didn't possess this ability before, yet now he was actually capable of tugging at a trace of his emotions?

Was it because, in essence, his current self was a projection of Fu Qian's own will, or was there some other hidden secret?

While dissecting it in detail, Fu Qian was in no rush to pass judgment in that moment, nor was he in a hurry to make a move.

"Why won't you kill me? Do you think this will wash away your Monstrous Sin?"

As a result, the person in question grew dissatisfied. When Ian spoke again, his face had shockingly become somewhat inhuman, and his lines were even more melodramatic.

"That's good. After all, Professor Fu has provided a great deal of help to our work."

In comparison, Excellency Half-Art's demeanor was worlds apart.

Seeing Fu Qian claim it was an eye-opener, the old man felt relieved and even took the initiative to mention the great contributions the other party had made, although his tone was a bit peculiar—

"Professor Fu."

But before Fu Qian could offer a few modest words, a third voice suddenly rang out, and this one sounded familiar.

"Excellency Stoss."

Turning to look, he saw someone rushing in through the door. It was the theoretical host of this Hongmen banquet—the fire-playing Old Man Stoss, who had just recently left the Academy.

However, compared to earlier, he seemed to be in a slightly worse state.

Though he had no obvious physical injuries, he still looked travel-worn and weary, while his thick beard appeared brighter than ever.

"Apologies for being tied up earlier. You arrived earlier than expected."

After greeting Half-Art and Su Gao, Stoss didn't disappoint; his opening words were also a lament about Fu Qian rushing over—the key being that it was highly likely to be his own funeral banquet.

"It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Sorry for the trouble. Is there anything I can help with?"

Fortunately, Fu Qian was already well-practiced in this, immediately tossing out a casual pleasantry.

"Hmm... actually, if possible, there really is something here we hope you can help with."

Yet, as the instigator of this Hongmen banquet, Old Man Stoss seemed to have zero understanding of polite pleasantries, looking genuinely overjoyed at Fu Qian's offer.