Facing an Ancient God for a Year

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Facing the sudden anomaly, Fu Qian did not rush to act.

Indeed, a void had appeared in his perception, but he knew that the void itself was also a target.

If there were no surprises, it could likewise pinpoint Old Master Gausman’s location.

It didn’t take long for Fu Qian to wait; about fifteen minutes later, the void started to move, like a bubble wandering around.

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Soon, Fu Qian saw Gausman walking out.

Compared to during the day, he no longer looked like a patient.

With a white shirt paired with a black tailcoat, the gentleman appeared in full dress, standing ramrod straight.

It was truly miraculous!

Fu Qian scrutinized Gausman, who was just a few dozen meters away from himself.

Though standing not far away, his presence was completely absent from perception.

For now, at least, it seemed certain that the anomaly in the hospital had been caused by him.

And by the looks of it, he seemed to be attending some sort of social event.

Socializing is quite normal, but isn’t it a bit late for that?

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At that moment, Gausman got into a car with the help of a servant.

Witnessing this, Fu Qian finally stood up and followed silently behind.

…

Before long, Gausman’s car stopped in front of a courtyard, where people had already been waiting at the entrance.

After getting out of the car, Gausman didn’t allow anyone to accompany him; instead, he walked inside by himself.

Fu Qian looked up at the building before him; it was clear that those living here, like Gausman, belonged to Byeluk’s high society.

This naturally reminded him of the “old men” that Bernard had mentioned, and it made him even more curious about the mysterious gathering.

The guards at the door were as good as non-existent to Fu Qian; he entered the interior without any effort.

At this time, Gausman had already crossed the courtyard and entered the banquet hall.

Fu Qian also kept walking without pausing, following behind without making a sound.

After entering the banquet hall, Fu Qian quickly found a concealed corner and began observing the scene inside.

It wasn’t some eerie, bloody underground meeting; everyone appeared quite normal.

The number of people wasn’t large, only enough for a small party, and it was evident that they all welcomed Gausman’s arrival very much.

Through their movements and breathing, it was easy to discern that all these people were ordinary folks.

Men and women, all dressed to the nines, polite and cultured.

Their common characteristic was that they were all of considerable age, even the sole waiter was an old man with a bald head.

Yet, it was this group of people who, just by standing there, were like black holes, causing his perception to be riddled with holes.

Were they all like Gausman?

Fu Qian found it quite astonishing for a moment.

Like most receptions, the guests formed small groups, drinking and chatting, without anything particularly out of place.

However, after observing for a while, Fu Qian started to notice something amiss.

The feeling these people gave him was somewhat false—not to say that the people were fake, but their behavior was.

Firstly, under normal circumstances, there should be a host at the party, but Fu Qian did not see anyone who looked like they filled that role.

Secondly, every move they made, even their conversational exchanges, inexplicably felt like acting out a stage play, with a touch of unreality.

Of course, such phenomena are not uncommon in social settings, but for everyone to be in that state was truly abnormal.

Fu Qian thought for a moment and suddenly had an idea.

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The next moment, his features rapidly changed, soon twisting into the likeness of Old Master Lu Ming.

At the same moment, he touched his head, and his hair instantly decayed into ash.

That’s right, he planned to approach these “actors” for a close-up encounter.

And considering the integration into the group, it was best to mold a more aged appearance.

So, to save on imagination, Fu Qian simply chose the already deceased Old Master Lu Ming.

Aside from the hair being completely lost, if he wanted a one hundred percent accurate replication, even the eyebrows should have been removed.

But taking appearance into account, Fu Qian ultimately just turned his eyebrows gray.

After doing all this, Fu Qian walked slowly forward, blending into the edge of the crowd.

Logically, if these people were of sound mind, they should have easily recognized him as a stranger.

However, surprisingly, the banquet proceeded without any disturbance.

Not only did no one notice the unwelcome guest Fu Qian, but what was more exaggerated, nobody even glanced at him.

As if Fu Qian simply didn’t exist here.

Such a group of dedicated “actors” indeed!

Fu Qian nodded to himself, moving through the crowd as if he were invisible.

Upon closer inspection, everyone appeared normal, but their expressions were somewhat strange, exuding a sense of both sanctity and defilement. The smiles around their mouths also looked a bit eerie.

And where the crowd overlapped, the hollows in his perception merged into one, giving him the sensation of being in the Void.

Quickly, Fu Qian moved beside Gausman.

This gentleman was quietly chatting with a slightly plump elder, addressing him as Dean Collins.

The dean of the town hospital?

So, wouldn’t that mean Gausman was his patient?

Fu Qian took a closer look, noting that Dean Collins was slightly younger than Gausman, of a plump build, wearing a bow tie.

His face bore the same strange expression, but his voice was a bit louder, talking with Sir Gausman about his collection of fine wine.

Spotting Collins’s empty glass and a waiter approaching from not too far away, Fu Qian had an idea.

He stepped forward, silently took the glass from the latter’s plate, emptied its contents, placed it back, and then stepped aside to watch what would happen.

The waiter showed no reaction throughout.

The next moment, he approached Collins, who glanced down at his side, saw nothing unusual, picked up the empty glass, casually drank from it, and continued chatting with Gausman.

They were truly “acting”; everyone was.

This grotesque scene further confirmed Fu Qian’s judgment.

It wasn’t yet clear if this was related to the voids, but it was obvious that these people were not in a normal state.

This seemingly ordinary party was, in essence, more like a well-coordinated performance.

This aligned well with his purpose of seeking anomalies. Going to the hospital was indeed a good idea.

Fu Qian was quite pleased with what he discovered.

Without further bothering the two actors, he looked around, considering how to further test the situation.

And the next moment, he noticed that on the spacious balcony, there was just one solitary figure.

It was a lady in elegant attire, standing lazily at the edge of the balcony, as if stepping out for some fresh air.

In itself, there was nothing strange about this, but Fu Qian noticed that she wasn’t looking outwards but rather smiling to herself at her side, as if there was someone else there.

Could it be that there was supposed to be someone else here?

A thought popped into Fu Qian’s mind.