Chapter 2994: Very Accurate Calculations

"Southwest? Master Aike truly has a well-deserved reputation."

Excellency Kelin's tone was casual, but her answer provoked a great deal of thought.

"Avoid Southwest, Suitable for Forging Ties"—this was the divination Aike had cast for herself earlier.

Given the current situation, it couldn't be dismissed as pure coincidence; it was practically a confirmation of that reading.

She might have called this an "expression of gratitude," but did anyone really think following Excellency Kelin would lead to anything good?

Excellency Half-Art's posture at this Hongmen banquet could be described as both ambiguous and perfectly clear.

He had no favorable impression of Fu Qian, yet he also wanted to stay out of the mess. Therefore, even for a major project like the Seed of Ecstasy, he had no intention of dealing with Fu Qian personally, opting instead to drag someone else in at random.

And the person he dragged in wasn't even the most logical choice, Old Man Stoss, but Kelin, who had technically dealt with Fu Qian before.

And Excellency Kelin certainly hadn't shirked the responsibility, deciding right then and there to give him a little something good.

Chief Yuan was right; the Night Watchers were far from a harmonious group.

Regardless, the upcoming reward would undoubtedly be worth looking forward to.

As for why he followed along so willingly, fully aware of all this?

Because he was just waiting for the show to start.

Considering how abruptly he'd arrived, he had already given Excellency Kelin and her people plenty of time to prepare.

From the very beginning, his group might have appeared to be rushing non-stop, but in essence, it had been nothing more than a sightseeing tour.

Taking things as they come, broadening his horizons, and avoiding actively causing trouble:

But Professor Fu was attending to myriad affairs daily, and his time was incredibly precious. If the Night Watchers didn't break out some exciting entertainment soon, it would simply be impolite.

"But the fortune teller said I'm not suited to head southwest."

Amidst his gratification, Fu Qian didn't forget to subtly flatter Demigod Aike.

"Oh—"

Kelin finally turned her head and looked him up and down.

"Her calculations were very accurate."

Sure enough, a truly brilliant trap didn't need to be hidden.

She was truly worthy of being Excellency Needle Witch; with a single breezy sentence, she had instantly made the situation even more complicated and bewildering.

"Avoid Southwest"—she had unhesitatingly affirmed Excellency Aike's reading, which, upon careful thought, carried at least two possible meanings.

First, that Aike was very accurate in her calculations, and Kelin was equally accurate. Kelin had checked her own answer against Aike's and highly praised the former's skill.

As a master of curses and puppets, it wouldn't be strange for Kelin to possess expertise in this area.

Second, that Kelin hadn't performed any divination of her own at all; she was simply absolutely certain that Professor Fu's trip was doomed, thereby using the situation to prove Aike's calculations accurate.

It was akin to manually forcing a "bloody disaster" to come true with a punch to the face. She fell just short of explicitly stating that she harbored ill intentions and that he was in for a rough time.

To sum up, no matter which interpretation was correct, it was best for Professor Fu not to be too optimistic about heading southwest.

Of course, this didn't stop him from looking on the bright side. No matter the possibility, at least Excellency Aike's divinatory prowess had been recognized.

"Then I can rest assured."

Fu Qian nodded in gratification, continuing along the untrodden path pointing straight southwest.

Indeed, Excellency Kelin's hostile attitude was actually a great comfort to him.

First of all, he had never been very polite to Excellency Kelin either.

Secondly, for this trip, Excellency Kelin's greatest value was simply to demonstrate how much trouble she could cause.

Now that she had decisively taken the stage right on cue, what was there to be dissatisfied about?

A contest between experts was always a battle of realm and scope.

"—I promised to ensure Professor Fu's safety."

For instance, although he was also an expert, Excellency Stoss's excessive concern clouded his judgment a bit.

The two walking at the very front seemed to be chatting casually, but the content of their conversation was truly nerve-wracking.

After hesitating for only a breath or two, Stoss issued a direct, icy reminder.

Though his voice wasn't loud, his determination was obvious; he was attempting to overcome her machinations with brute force.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing I never made such a promise."

This was where the advantage of lacking ambition became apparent. As someone who had voluntarily withdrawn from the Supreme Council, Kelin's smile remained undiminished even under Stoss's heavy tone.

"After all, given Professor Fu's style, ensuring his safety is no easy task."

She even tossed in an extra compliment for Professor Fu, highly validating his methods.

That was indeed true.

Even as the subject in question, Fu Qian felt it made a lot of sense.

In theory, Excellency Kelin didn't even need to do anything; just by her standing there, he could already start his own countdown.

The tearing had never stopped, and the hidden danger of his newly emerged inner demon was far from eliminated.

Although his perception had once again returned to zero, his current state couldn't even be considered an emergency patch job.

The head he had once taken off had already become the anchor point for the inner demon.

And putting it back on was the equivalent of actively accepting it.

The end result was that he could leverage the sway toward the inner demon to restore his Transcendent Perception.

However, the risks involved were absurd, and the probability of never swaying back was growing ever larger.

Ensuring the safety of someone so determined to court death was truly no easy task.

"In that case, how about I handle his reception from here?"

But Old Man Stoss was still insisting, surprisingly preparing to take on the arduous task himself.

"This was Excellency Half-Art's arrangement."

Kelin finally stopped in her tracks, looking somewhat surprised.

"I know. I'll take it up with him."

Stoss sounded completely resolute.

"Understood."

Kelin let out a soft "oh."

"But giving Professor Fu this gift was Excellency Corvos's idea."

Clearly, Excellency Corvos wielded considerable influence.

As soon as that name was dropped, the air fell silent.

Even Old Man Stoss, despite his fiery temper, stiffened instantly.

After hesitating to speak, he finally dropped the matter.

"I see. So Excellency Corvos is also here right now?"

However, Professor Fu didn't let the awkward silence stretch on; he immediately posed a curious question.

Yes, he had heard that name back when he first arrived at the Birthday Party.

Excellency Henry, the retired Night Watcher veteran, and Old Man Logan had only confirmed the whereabouts of two people.

Aside from the current speaker, Soral, the other was Corvos.

Moreover, their attitude had been perfectly clear—they didn't like the latter very much.

"This was an idea Excellency Corvos had previously."

It seemed the man's whereabouts were indeed highly secretive; even in this situation, Excellency Kelin didn't reveal his location.

And the reward about to be bestowed upon Professor Fu hadn't been proposed after he earned his "merit" today, but had been suggested long in advance?

Honestly speaking, such a revelation did nothing to reassure anyone. On the contrary, it made the atmosphere feel even more oppressive.

"We're almost there. Can you tell there are more people around?"

Fortunately, Excellency Kelin still embraced her role as a guide, voluntarily speaking up to ease the tension.