Chapter 3012: Su Gao Remains Silent

A veteran was a veteran. Their methods could never be underestimated.

Playing with the severed head in his hands, Fu Qian didn't feel much sorrow of parting at that moment; he merely sighed in admiration at how the entity was old but still vigorous.

As for losing a grinding spot to farm inspiration, such things had both pros and cons.

Exploiting the Blasphemy Monarch's will to survive and simply killing his way through was indeed highly efficient, and it even yielded bonus intelligence.

But the price was also quite steep.

The path of Zen Dao was incredibly intoxicating. As a contestant whose grasp on idealism was second to none, manifesting as an inner demon truly felt fantastic.

For every second he delayed, the probability of being unable to extricate himself from it increased.

The biggest problem with the Inner Demon State was that it appeared as if there were no problems at all.

It was difficult to even rationally remind himself of the drawbacks of maintaining this state, as if it was simply meant to be a better version of himself.

Unfortunately, Fu Qian still wanted to remain a bit dull—

Without wasting any time, the head on his neck melted once again, and he slowly placed the one in his hands back onto his shoulders.

Accompanying this action was a subtle yet maddening self-rejection. He was renouncing this moment of absolute clarity and returning to his foolish shell...

And the very moment his perception genuinely sealed shut, the small shop before his eyes vanished with it.

Of course, the one that appeared in its place was entirely identical.

Shifting his gaze away from the Puppet Demigod, Fu Qian looked down at himself, confirming that his specially prepared formal wear remained undamaged.

This made perfect sense. It had only been a Temporary Folder, after all, and it had now dissipated along with his inner demon.

To the people who had stayed here all along, Professor Fu had merely been staring at the item on the mannequin for a long time under everyone's gaze.

"Is there a problem?" Seeing him finally move, Old Man Stoss, the person primarily responsible for security, could hold back no longer. Unable to spot any abnormalities on the puppet, he couldn't help but speak up to check.

"That depends on the perspective," Fu Qian said, shaking his head slightly and looking toward Chaumont. "May I try on this Skin?" ...

Did he really take a liking to the merchandise? Was looking down at himself just a way to gauge the fit? Was the mannequin's display really that effective?

The air fell practically dead silent.

Professor Fu had stared for so long not because there was an issue with the Puppet Demigod, but because he fancied the item draped over it.

Although they easily understood his meaning, it only brought further shock to the onlookers.

"Please do. Although I haven't received any instructions regarding gifts, trying things on is naturally a part of business," Chaumont replied. After a brief silence, the elder member of the Supreme Council took it upon himself to hint that this Night Watchers asset could be taken away.

Along with his words, the Puppet Demigod took off the fur coat and offered it up with both hands.

"Thank you very much." Fu Qian naturally didn't stand on ceremony; borrowing the Blasphemy Monarch's parting words, he took the coat and draped it directly over his shoulders.

It had to be said, although the style was a bit different, it actually looked pretty good on him.

It was just that the Puppet Demigod's short jacket had turned into a mid-length coat on him—slash! He had been admiring it for less than a second when this wildly styled coat was instantly torn open by a sharp blade.

Even the flesh beneath it was slashed open.

...

Su Gao remained silent, simply drawing her blade.

Who else could it have been?

Feeling the breeze against his wide-open chest, and even his sternum, Fu Qian noted that there weren't many fighters capable of leaving such a wound on him in the first place.

As the person who took over His Excellency Logan's guide duties, Classmate Su Gao was dutiful and responsible on one hand, while on the other, she clearly preferred to be a quiet listener when others were present.

This time was no different. After returning from the Temporary Folder, even though Professor Fu's words and actions were slightly eccentric, she hadn't been in a rush to speak—she had just attacked instead.

The Curved Sword that had remained sheathed earlier was suddenly drawn and swung in a horizontal slash without a single word of warning.

He had to admit, her skills had indeed improved significantly after advancing to Tier 2.

At that moment, despite also having a Tier 2 physique, Fu Qian felt his flesh part like butter before this sword—it was far smoother than back in the Sacred Night Capital.

"Su Gao!" This shocking move simultaneously startled the two Evaluation Council elders. Old Man Stoss couldn't help but shout her name directly, his eyes practically blazing with rising flames.

They couldn't be blamed for their reaction; contrasting extremes always delivered the greatest impact.

They both clearly knew a thing or two about the friendship between Executive Yama Su and Professor Fu.

This trip might indeed be perilous for the latter, but anyone else from the Night Watchers could have attacked Professor Fu—Su Gao was the one exception.

Of course, it was precisely this contrast that left the two men so shocked they didn't immediately intervene—they didn't even know how to intervene.

Why did she just draw her sword? Even if the coat was a little wild, it wasn't so ugly that it warranted this, was it?

"Understood. Thanks for your hard work." Even more shocking was Professor Fu's reaction. After standing his ground and taking a second slash without dodging or evading, he actually let out a long sigh and thanked her for her effort.

Fwoosh—

As he spoke, golden flames suddenly ignited within the gruesome wound and rapidly engulfed his entire body.

The fire was so radiant that the fur coat he wore was instantly reduced to ash.

Yes, the King of the Abandoned Prison, who controlled the Frenzied Flame, chose to use it to burn himself and experience the pain.

"That's enough, take a break," he said softly to Su Gao, finally grabbing the Curved Sword the moment the flames flared up.

Crack!

A weapon wielded by Su Gao was naturally no ordinary item, yet it still couldn't withstand the intense forging of the Flame of Frenzy. In the blink of an eye, fine spiderweb cracks appeared across its surface.

Not only that, but the cracks were rapidly traveling down the blade toward its master.

Hm...

When it came to combat, Su Gao was never one to be rigid or inflexible.

Though she still didn't say a word, she didn't blindly try to snatch her weapon back either. In that instant, she decisively abandoned her sword and retreated.

However, her killing intent was far from spent. Almost simultaneously, a strange, sharp light flared in her palm as she raised her hand to stab forward—

Yet, even though Professor Fu stood completely still, the strike ultimately failed to hit its target.

The Frenzied Flame, the shattered Curved Sword, the incredulous onlookers... In the very next moment, they all vanished.

Replacing them was yet another peaceful little shop on Drifting Street. [SAN Value -10, inspiration +10]

It was the exact same scene as before, and the onlookers remained completely silent.

With a shrill, agonizing scream serving as background noise, Fu Qian listened to another prompt ringing in his ears. This time, he turned to look at Su Gao's position first.

Staring intently in his direction, her hand rested on the hilt of her perfectly intact sword. This time, she finally didn't draw her weapon.

The Blasphemy Monarch's methods were impressive indeed. What a pity he still didn't know how formidable Executive Yama Su was.