Chapter 3021 Metered Fare

Was this the power of keeping watch?

At a single glance, it was clear. The figure that had abruptly appeared on the streets of the Birthday Party was none other than Madam Three-Eyed.

She kept her eyes straight ahead, not glancing back even once.

Her gaunt, practically withered frame was surprisingly suited to the rather narrow street.

This was undoubtedly good news. The broken trail of clues had been forcibly reconnected.

In fact, Madam Three-Eyed's current behavior was practically screaming, "Follow me."

Considering her likely persona, Fu Qian seemed to intuitively sense the mutual oblivion between that couple.

Of course, regardless of why this change had occurred, such a clue definitely could not be missed.

Under Yuan Shan's incredulous gaze, Fu Qian stood tall on the stone platform and spread his arms like an eagle, as if a haystack lay waiting below.

"You—"

And over her even more incredulous voice, Fu Qian actually leapt out, flipping 270 degrees in the air.

The only fly in the ointment was the complete lack of a haystack below to accommodate his Leap of Faith. He could only manage one final flip at the very end to land lightly on his toes.

"You're not going to tell me you ran all the way up there just to do this, are you?"

It was a pity that although his execution had been flawless, he still lacked an appreciative audience.

Yuan Shan, arriving just a step behind him, wore a look that questioned her entire existence.

Although she had jumped down after him, she had striven to keep a low profile, unwilling to ruin her image at the Birthday Party.

"That was one of the goals. Mostly, the pose just felt right."

Fu Qian openly admitted it, showing genuine thrill at the opportunity.

"...And what's next? Do you have a clue?"

His behavior was indeed a bit abstract, but fortunately, Yuan Shan was a long-time partner. She knew that while his style was occasionally outrageous, he never forgot the task at hand.

"Probably a little."

As expected, Professor Fu did not disappoint, gesturing in a certain direction.

As it turned out, Madam Three-Eyed was still heading southwest.

... "You don't seem suited to be heading in this direction?"

Fu Qian finally started moving. No matter how outrageous his reasons were, Yuan Shan still looked relieved.

However, as she caught up, she clearly noticed a certain detail and casually teased him.

"That is also one of the bases for my judgment."

However, Professor Fu's response only made her heart race with anxiety again.

So was he reliable or not? Was he just heading southwest again because he couldn't wait for something terrible to happen?

It was easy to follow that line of logic, and the breath Yuan Shan had just let out caught in her throat once more.

However, for the sake of her fragile heart, she finally held back from asking further. She simply followed Fu Qian's gaze and stared blankly ahead.

Even though it was just past noon, the Travelers on the street remained sparse.

Because of this, she could easily confirm that there were no suspicious individuals ahead.

[SAN Value -1, inspiration +1]

Even Fu Qian could attest to that. In just the short time they had been speaking, the recently reconnected trail had gone cold once again.

Madam Three-Eyed, who had been walking silently down the street without interacting with her surroundings at all, had once again vanished into thin air.

The notification ringing in his ears proved that she wasn't just playing hide-and-seek.

Naturally, this sudden change did not affect Fu Qian's stride in the slightest. He continued moving forward.

Although his earlier words to Chief Yuan seemed aimed at scaring her, they weren't pure nonsense.

He still had to avoid falling into habitual thinking. Old Man Henry might look like he had deeper ties to The Abyss, but he couldn't forget Madam Three-Eyed's origins.

The changes in SAN Value and inspiration were enough to prove that, just like Ian and the others, she had essentially manifested because of him.

Under these circumstances, linking Madam Three-Eyed to his daily fortune was perfectly logical.

To summarize, the path he was walking right now possessed a subtlety that simultaneously influenced all parties involved.

Even if Madam Three-Eyed hadn't appeared again, he could have just kept walking in the direction she had been gazing—not to mention that she had actually reappeared.

Without breaking his stride, Fu Qian spotted that familiar figure once again further down the long street.

... 'Is this a metered fare?'

Faced with a path that had suddenly become clear once again, a rather bizarre metaphor popped into Fu Qian's mind alongside his relief.

She was guiding him all the way to his destination, deducting a fee for every set distance traveled. This inherently eerie scenario surprisingly gave him the feeling of taking a taxi, brimming with a sense of light luxury.

Fortunately, as the consumer in this transaction, even though he was spending his money, he was at least earning "points" on his account.

He might be losing SAN Value, but he was still quite a ways off from hitting ninety-nine points in inspiration. Just wandering around and following her like this for a while didn't seem too bad.

"How far is it from here to the edge of the Birthday Party?"

Given that Madam Three-Eyed wasn't moving very fast, Fu Qian slowed his pace to a leisurely stroll, turning to consult Yuan Shan.

Why did it feel like they had wandered in a big circle only to end up right back where they started?

Yuan Shan's emotions in that moment were quite complex. On one hand, she was worried about her teacher's situation, but on the other, she suddenly realized she had once again been pushed into the role of tour guide.

"Not too far. The core area of this place is quite distinct, and the closer you get to the edge, the fewer permanent buildings there are that resist decay and replacement."

Of course, she quickly accepted her fate, letting out a sigh as she explained.

"That makes sense. What about the streets?" Imagining the scene and using the view from the Clock Tower to sketch out the entire Birthday Party's layout in his mind, Fu Qian continued to ask.

"As far as I know, the streets remain stable, unaffected by whether they are in the center or on the edge."

Yuan Shan surveyed their surroundings.

"However, people rarely come out this way. My teacher's resting place is already considered a rather remote location."

So that was how it was. It made perfect sense.

Fu Qian gave a slight nod as he watched Madam Three-Eyed turn into a narrow alley.

In all fairness, the foot traffic around here couldn't compare to Drifting Street, but it wasn't particularly desolate either.

But the lack of a fixed Anchor Point was indeed a major problem. For the Night Watchers, there wasn't even any value in finding a place to set up an office here.

"So, where is the nearest permanent building around here?"

Processing this information, Fu Qian continued his questioning.

Hmm...

It was obvious that Yuan Shan really didn't come to this area very often; she found herself momentarily speechless in the face of Professor Fu's question.

"Take the street on the left up ahead. There is a door that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom."

Executive Yama Su's reliability was once again put on full display.

Su Gao, who had been following quietly behind them the entire time, took a moment to get her bearings before pointing in the exact same direction as Madam Three-Eyed.

...

'So she even takes walks out here in her free time?'

Classmate Su Gao's performance was nothing short of stunning, but in that moment, Fu Qian only sighed inwardly, not feeling entirely surprised.

It was obvious that even during her time off, she didn't really enjoy life, preferring instead to quietly walk through this chaotic realm and experience it firsthand.

With a silent sigh, he kept walking. Soon, Fu Qian spotted the uniquely shaped door, as well as Madam Three-Eyed, who was standing motionless in front of it.