Chapter 2993: Drifting Street Does Not Drift

How did that saying go again—true colors exposed?

Looking directly at someone when answering a question was basic courtesy.

But for Fu Qian, doing so right now made him feel as if he were being somewhat offensive.

Standing in the sunlight, the Needle Witch possessed a unique aura straight out of the uncanny valley.

She had nothing more on her than she did when dealing the cards earlier, and even the abstract curve of her face hadn't changed a bit.

Yet the sunlight falling over her head acted like lighting for the dead, instantly stripping away any sense of a living person. It made it incredibly hard to see her as an entity capable of speech.

"It certainly matches the architectural style of your Work Unit. It's quite rare to see in here."

Yet in the next moment, not only did she speak, she said quite a lot in a single breath.

Looking up past Fu Qian's shoulder, the Needle Witch showed that bizarre smile again, deepening her inhuman aura just enough to nearly deliver a Mental Shock.

Fitting for a former member of the Supreme Council, she clearly knew the deep ties between the Tower and Apocalypse, and even seemed to grasp the patterns of its manifestation.

"There's even someone inside. You're quite lucky."

She then looked up toward the top of the Tower, as if she knew someone was standing up there.

"I think my luck is pretty good too. Even though it was only a brief exchange, I still learned a lot."

Fu Qian agreed with that sentiment and even followed her gaze upward.

"Then why didn't you stay a little longer? You came out so quickly."

Yet his remark had still caused Excellency Needle Witch to frown slightly.

She went on to question whether Professor Fu's visit had been a mere formality, simply going through the motions.

"The old man was in poor spirits. I was worried that if I stayed any longer, he might get too tired."

Fu Qian's expression didn't shift at all, and he answered with complete honesty.

"Actually, by the time we left, he had already stopped talking."

"I see. That actually works out well."

At first listen, it sounded like a genuinely friendly and cordial conversation. But much like Excellency Needle Witch's face, closer inspection revealed bizarre inconsistencies everywhere.

Fortunately, neither of the two involved seemed intent on ruining the mood. After listening closely to Fu Qian's explanation, the Needle Witch appeared quite accepting of this excuse.

"Apologies, I'm late."

Before she could say more, however, someone else interrupted her, and it was another familiar voice.

Excellency Stoss could be seen hurrying toward them down a previously untraveled path, stopping only when he drew near.

Though he had opened with an apology, his expression remained flat as his gaze landed on the Needle Witch.

"It's fine. I just arrived too early."

The Needle Witch's "smile" remained, and she even magnanimously blamed her own method of travel. She spoke as if Stoss's arrival was perfectly expected.

"Excellency Half-Art has already conducted a preliminary examination of Aike. The current situation looks quite optimistic, but since further confirmation is still needed, he asked us to express gratitude on his behalf first."

One could tell that Old Man Stoss and the Needle Witch weren't particularly close.

He didn't bother hiding it, either. Having zero intention of trading pleasantries with the Needle Witch, he immediately turned to explain things directly to Fu Qian.

From this alone, it seemed the old man hadn't forgotten his role as the initiator of this Hongmen banquet, still maintaining the posture of trying to guarantee safety.

But that explanation of his—it didn't sound very safe at all.

First off, Excellency Aike's good condition served as yet another testament to the sheer value of those ten points of inspiration.

The notoriously stubborn Seed of Ecstasy seemed to have truly been cleanly eradicated by that eruption of Calamity—perhaps because they were in the Birthday Party?

Fu Qian was never one for blind confidence. While the Calamity Eyes were highly effective, he didn't consider them to be a specialized counter against pleasure.

Managing to directly eradicate what was very likely Excellency Father's Amnion's final trump card in a single strike probably had more to do with the unique nature of the Birthday Party.

If they had been anywhere else, it might not have worked so well.

Either way, it was good news. So why did it sound unsafe?

The reason was simple: the unsafe element was Excellency Half-Art's posture.

For a titan who theoretically guarded the headquarters at present, his attitude seemed somewhat ambiguous.

Excellency Half-Art didn't really like him. That much was easy to see.

Thus, even with Old Man Stoss reporting what had just happened and firmly backing him, it wouldn't be strange if Half-Art still suspected Fu Qian of staging the whole thing.

Normally, Half-Art definitely would have used this as an excuse to summon him for a thorough investigation. Yet his actual response was to send others to express gratitude?

Even storming over to aggressively demand accountability would have seemed more normal than this.

Not to mention that the person he sent was actually the Needle Witch—

Although he didn't know how much Excellency Half-Art understood about the relationship between him and the Needle Witch, it felt remarkably like Half-Art was washing his hands of the matter while gleefully watching the drama unfold.

"As long as she is alright."

Of course, even so, it didn't stop Fu Qian from offering a polite platitude.

"So, how exactly do you plan to express your gratitude?"

But it was only a single platitude.

'Is the Needle Witch actually taking the lead, while the old man just tagged along out of a sense of responsibility?'

In that moment, Excellency Stoss said nothing, merely shifting his gaze to the Needle Witch.

That single reaction was enough to confirm certain suspicions for Fu Qian.

It seemed Excellency Half-Art truly wanted to pull the Needle Witch into this—or perhaps not just the Needle Witch, but whatever stood behind her as well?

"Please rest assured, Professor Fu will definitely be satisfied."

Amid his musings, the woman in question didn't reveal a single flaw on her face. She just "smiled" as she answered Fu Qian's overly blunt question.

"If you are all ready, shall we head over to Drifting Street now?"

A second later, her gaze swept over the others; she looked as if she had decided on the method of gratitude long ago.

"Drifting Street?"

As a first-time visitor, Fu Qian gestured for her to lead the way, not hiding his unfamiliarity with the name.

"Strictly speaking, it is more than just one street. Your Excellency lives in Shangjing, so you should know that every place always has a few bustling districts for people to stroll and shop."

But the Needle Witch's explanation ended up sounding even more abstract.

'A central business district? Taking me on a shopping spree as a thank you?'

He had to admit, as absurd as it sounded, it actually made a bit of sense.

"Drifting Street is the most stable zone in the entire Birthday Party. None of the buildings inside will undergo replacement."

By comparison, Old Man Stoss was a bit more reliable. His face was somewhat gloomy, but he proactively stepped in to explain.

'Got it. Drifting Street doesn't actually drift. Going for a little irony, huh?'

'Plus, the old man didn't seem to deny the shopping part—'

"So that's how it is. Roughly which direction is it in?"

Deep in thought, Fu Qian casually asked.

"Southwest."

The Needle Witch had already turned and was walking ahead, leaving only her voice trailing behind.