Chapter 2955: Don't Talk to Strangers

The storm had not subsided; instead, it had grown even fiercer.

His Excellency Logan was visibly racking his brain, trying to figure out exactly who this overly common name referred to.

"Lily?"

He wasn't the only one; even Chief Yuan seemed infected by his confusion, frowning in curiosity.

"Her lover is named Ian. She should have arrived not long ago," Fu Qian hinted patiently.

"Oh—"

As it turned out, the White-Headed Sanctuary incident had indeed drawn a lot of attention. At that moment, the audience all wore expressions of sudden realization.

Of course, their motives for paying attention likely varied from person to person.

"So it's her. I heard earlier that she'd been brought back," Yuan Shan said. Once again, she was the first to speak, her tone somewhat melancholy.

"I looked into her past. She's a poor thing—it's a wonder you still remember her."

Since it was a joint project between the Night Watchers and the Academy, Professor Fu's heroics in the final report had been impossible to gloss over, naturally including his interactions with Lily.

Strictly speaking, the only reason she had managed to retain a shred of her humanity was entirely due to Professor Fu's decisiveness.

"As far as I know, she's well accommodated right now and receiving treatment... Don't tell me you're planning to study her condition while you're at it?"

But obviously, in Yuan Shan's eyes, Professor Fu was highly unlikely to care about his identity as a savior, much less go out of his way to visit her during a trip like this.

So much so that as she shared what she knew, she seemed to suddenly realize something and gave a start.

"It's not like I'm going to do anything. Can't I just check on the results of her treatment?" Fu Qian asked in confusion, fully living up to that trust.

...

"That's not under my jurisdiction. I'm just reminding you that the poor girl has suffered enough." Yuan Shan let out a long sigh, wearing an 'I knew it' expression.

However, Fu Qian's reasoning was beyond reproach. As one of the project leaders, it could even be considered a sign of dedication. For a moment, all she could do was offer a weak reminder.

"You are free to visit the Tower, but you will need a guide to accompany you... As for visiting her, I'll need to go back and coordinate that first," Logan responded quickly, having listened in the whole time and grasped the situation.

"Fair and reasonable." At the word 'guide,' Fu Qian's gaze had already fallen on Yuan Shan.

"Fine..." Yuan Shan let out another long sigh, showing little reaction, as if she had long foreseen this fate.

"Actually, it's not just there. You can go anywhere except the work areas."

Their shared experiences in Shangjing alone were enough for Logan to understand the relationship between these two, so he wasn't surprised by this choice.

Displaying the generosity of a host for the first time, he gestured to their surroundings as they walked, indicating that the Birthday Party always welcomed visitors.

"Of course, before that, you'll need to come with me to get a Playing Card," Logan said, changing the subject and gesturing into the distance.

Even though they had been chatting the entire way, it didn't stop Fu Qian from noting that the spot was exactly where the "Restricted Zone" lay along their route.

It was just that in the Birthday Party, it wasn't a cold, imposing door, but a building constructed entirely of white stone.

The most striking feature was an entire row of giant columns over three stories high.

At the bottom were stone steps slanting downward, giving the illusion that it was situated by the water.

Even though what it actually bordered was a colorful cobblestone path.

...

A Playing Card?

It felt like sheep knucklebones would be more fitting for this style of architecture.

The building was undeniably visually striking, and it clearly belonged to one of the work areas Logan had mentioned.

But as he stared at it, Fu Qian still felt that the aesthetic of a playing card didn't quite match.

Yuan Shan had mentioned before that this place was different from the inside of the Tower of Night; it wasn't meant to seal away any unclean things.

Judging by His Excellency Logan's tone, it seemed to be a place that issued some sort of Pass?

"Here, like this." Seeing the topic change, Yuan Shan's tone lightened a bit as she pulled something out of her pocket.

It really was a Playing Card.

Fu Qian casually took it and turned it over in his hands.

It was slightly longer and narrower than a standard poker card, and the craftsmanship was far more exquisite.

It had a starry sky for a background, scattered with fragments of the night sun. It was unknown what had been added to the blue-black pigment, but specks of golden thread sparkled as it was flipped.

As for the front, it bore the striking image of three intertwined black iron thorns.

It couldn't exactly be called beautiful, but it was incredibly vivid.

Just pinching it in his hand, he could almost feel a stinging pain.

Of course, that was merely a phantom pain born of his imagination. Overall, it really did look like an ordinary playing card, possessing no special effects.

"Does everyone have one?" After admiring its unique art style, Fu Qian handed the Playing Card back.

"Every 'person' has one," Yuan Shan said, placing deliberate emphasis on the word.

Oh?

Fu Qian's gaze fell to his right, where an elderly gentleman in a top hat was just walking past.

Aside from a somewhat sallow complexion, there was nothing bizarre about his appearance. His meticulously maintained dark-red cane gleamed in the sunlight.

He just seemed somewhat arrogant, not even sparing a glance at the three of them as he passed by.

"That's right, they don't count. Until you get your own Playing Card, it's best to avoid greeting them," Yuan Shan said softly, her gaze following his to confirm his guess.

"And of course, even after you get it, don't talk to them too much."

...

He had been thinking that the personnel inside the Night Watchers Base seemed a bit too mixed.

Yuan Shan's meaning was crystal clear: in this seemingly lively and bustling environment, many of the figures around them weren't actually living people.

Not only were they essentially part of the scenery, but interacting with them too much could lead to negative consequences. It was truly bizarre. Was this the reason Old Man Henry disliked this place?

"Understood." Fu Qian nodded, accepting the advice while taking the opportunity to observe Henry's reaction.

Unfortunately, the latter had no reaction whatsoever. His hollow eyes treated the Travelers completely like thin air.

"We're here. The others will have to wait outside," Logan offered a timely reminder, indicating that their destination was right in front of them.

Neither Yuan Shan nor Henry voiced any objections; it was clearly a standard rule.

"Alright." Adapting to local customs, Fu Qian followed, climbing the steps one by one and passing through two sets of nearly unadorned double doors.

"Welcome." Almost immediately, a slightly androgynous voice rang out, accompanied by the scent of frankincense.

Glancing up, he saw a figure sitting upright in the modestly sized inner hall, looking up at him like a priestess about to deliver a divine oracle. It was just that the face was far too withered. Even though the skin didn't have a single wrinkle, it looked as fake as a piece of stitched-on white paper.

"Hello, Professor Fu." The next moment, this white paper of a face actually folded into an arc that was probably meant to be a smile, calling out Fu Qian's title.

"You can call me the Needle Witch."