Chapter 294: I Help You Two Out, and You Both Stab Me in the Back?
The answer Zhang Yangqing gave was an eye-opener.
Many people could figure it out—just not as fast as this guy.
Even the loli girl, who liked to argue, had to admit he made a good point.
“I actually thought so too—I was just testing your judgment,” she said, trying to save face.
The two demon workers behind her couldn’t help but twitch at that.
Master, even a dog wouldn’t believe that lie.
As for the Chosen Ones who took the wrong path—they weren’t attacked by any bizarre creatures, but they did run into a road collapse.
The ground seemed to open up like a giant red maw, swallowing those lost lambs whole.
In front of the screens, the audience could only watch as those Chosen Ones were crushed into pulp by the collapsing earth.
Even the few supernaturals among them stood no chance against the power of the land itself.
The uphill road wasn’t easy. Gradually, perhaps due to hunger, the Chosen Ones began to struggle.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
They’d been walking the night road for about an hour now, and the last time they ate was seven or eight hours ago.
Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing: I should’ve brought some food.
But out here in the middle of nowhere, where could they find anything to eat? Forget animals—on this uphill stretch, they couldn’t even spot a single passerby.
The guide dogs sniffed the ground keenly, focused on their work. Every step forward was a testament to their loyalty to their owners.
They picked the smoothest paths they could, pulling their owners forward little by little with their own strength.
Holding the ropes and feeling their guide dogs tire, many Chosen Ones felt a warmth in their hearts.
In this pitch-black world, it felt like the guide dog was their only beacon of light.
It was the dog, step by step, pulling them upward.
Those who had briefly considered abandoning their dogs now felt ashamed of their foolishness.
Those who had always trusted their dogs now felt even more resolute.
The audience was puzzled—why didn’t the Chosen Ones just have their demons carry them up?
After all, demons were powerful enough to lift them without issue, making the climb much easier.
And demons wouldn’t disobey orders.
The audience figured if they were in that position, they’d definitely have the demons give them a push.
But this was another smart move by the Chosen Ones. Those who’d made it this far had sharp reactions and decent foresight.
A-rank demons were stronger than guide dogs in combat, so they were responsible for fighting and keeping watch, reporting any changes to their masters.
If they wasted their energy now, they’d be weakened when real danger struck—and that could be fatal.
Remember, this stretch was just the beginning. Many things mentioned in the rules hadn’t even appeared yet.
Any rational Chosen One wouldn’t let their A-rank demon burn through precious stamina.
Even if they had to rest, they’d rather climb up first.
The audience, not being inside the Weird World, couldn’t imagine how exhausting it really was.
But the truth was, those who entered already had decent stamina and solid overall abilities.
Still, some were panting heavily after walking this uphill road.
“Dammit, I get it now—the Weird World is draining my stamina on purpose!”
Sidney was getting more experienced with the Weird World.
Uphill roads weren’t easy, which was why the rules reminded Chosen Ones to stock up on food.
This stretch would definitely drain their stamina—and they had no choice but to push through.
And soon, they’d likely face real danger.
Over on Dragon Country’s screen, complaints were also flying—just not from Zhang Yangqing.
“Wait for me! Why are you walking so fast?”
“I’m starving! I should’ve eaten more last night.”
“You two, pull me up! You’re S-rank demons, aren’t you? Is this all the strength you’ve got?”
“Come on, come on—catch up to him!”
The loli girl sat on a wooden board while her two S-rank demons hauled her up the slope like pack mules.
They looked utterly defeated. Easy for you to say—what rank is that big shot, and what rank are we? Can we even catch up?
And even if we could, would we dare to?
If it weren’t for the contract binding them, they’d have dumped her off the board ages ago.
Thankfully, she was light, so it didn’t take much effort—otherwise, even S-rank demons would’ve died of exhaustion halfway up.
Normally, they shouldn’t both be pulling the board at the same time—one should always stay battle-ready.
After all, in a place this dangerous, with bizarre creatures lurking in the bushes nearby, you can’t afford to let your guard down.
But with the big shot up ahead, they had zero desire to fight. They might as well just do odd jobs.
Even the loli girl wondered—how was that guy walking his dog still doing just fine at a time like this?
Inside the Weird World, Zhang Yangqing had exceptionally high bonus physical stats, so his stamina and endurance were naturally much higher.
As long as he wasn’t starving, nothing was too much of a problem for him.
His guide dog was also the most relaxed of all the guide dogs.
Not only did its owner not hold the leash, but it didn’t even need to warn him about potholes. Wherever the dog stepped, Zhang Yangqing would follow.
And more than that—who could understand what it felt like to have a powerhouse like that walking behind you?
That unparalleled sense of security made the guide dog stride forward with confidence, without a moment’s hesitation.
That was also why the other two demons were suffering—they wanted nothing more than to slap that dog upside the head and tell it to slow down.
The pace of the whole group was set entirely by the dog, and the two demons felt like they were having the worst luck imaginable.
After about half an hour of trudging uphill—about twenty minutes for the faster ones—the Chosen Ones finally reached the top.
But then a muddy road stretched out before them.
This made many of them want to curse the Weird World.
Muddy ground was hard to walk on. Step into a puddle and you’d have to waste energy pulling your foot back out.
That could drain what little stamina they had left even faster.
When Ramirez from Argentina reached this point, he bent down and felt the mud on the road.
“Rain left traces here—which means there might be thunderstorms ahead. I need to find a way to get raincoats or umbrellas. This muddy road is probably hinting at that, right?”
While other Chosen Ones were still complaining, he seemed to have already figured something out.
The audience was amazed that he could stay so focused despite being tired and hungry.
Right now, Ramirez’s approval rating was soaring—he’d even surpassed the holy knight Sidney and Count Campbell.
Among the top four in popularity, only one was an ordinary Chosen One.
The number one spot went without saying—he was already a fair distance ahead on the muddy path.
Dragon Country’s Celestial Master had never had low ratings.
After walking a bit further, Ramirez heard some noise from the roadside.
“What’s going on?” he asked the A-rank demon behind him.
“Two people seem to be arguing,” the demon replied flatly.
He was the type who only answered when asked, and stayed quiet otherwise.
“Let’s go check it out.”
Ramirez sensed a quest brewing.
The rules did say you could chat with passersby and maybe gain something useful.
As he walked toward the sound, he stayed on guard.
His guide dog was on high alert in front of him, and his A-rank demon looked ready to act at any moment.
Before he even asked, he could tell what was happening.
They were brothers, arguing over a few paintings.
Judging by their voices, they were around forty or fifty—steady, with strong, resonant tones.
They seemed to have just returned from different auctions and had run into each other here.
And now they were showing off the paintings they’d bid on.
The older brother claimed the younger one’s painting was fake—a counterfeit.
The younger brother disagreed, insisting his brother’s was the fake.
Both seemed to have spent a lot of money on their pieces.
This delighted Ramirez—he knew this was the quest.
Because back at the villa, when he’d been buttering up the raspy-voiced old man, the elder had taught him how to tell real paintings from fakes.
After all, the old man had spent his days in galleries and knew the subject well.
The Chosen Ones had studied hard to earn his favor.
Now, all that learning over the past few days was finally going to pay off!
So he stepped forward and struck up a conversation.
He didn’t rush to reveal his identity. He just chatted casually, then suddenly said, “Gentlemen, I’m actually an expert at identifying paintings. If you don’t mind, I could take a look at your pieces.”
Then, remembering something, he added, “But my services aren’t free.”
【Rule 8: Remember—don’t accept anything free on this road!】
He was offering his labor, so getting paid for it was only fair, right?
That wouldn’t count as getting something for free.
The older brother seemed hesitant. The younger one doubted Ramirez, saying his painting was very valuable.
Ramirez prodded them: “Only fakes are afraid of being examined.”
That hit a nerve—both brothers’ expressions soured.
They hated anyone questioning whether they’d wasted their money.
“Fine, have it your way. But you’d better not damage my painting.”
“Go ahead, but if you can’t back up your words, don’t expect any payment.”
The brothers handed over their paintings to Ramirez.
First, he felt the texture of the materials, then sniffed them carefully.
He checked the frames, the edges of the paper—everything, thoroughly.
“Just as the old man taught me.”
Soon, Ramirez had his verdict.
He inspected all the paintings.
If the old man hadn’t lied to him, this was the right way to judge.
He held up a few paintings and carefully explained to the brothers where the forgeries were, which materials were fake, which aging was artificial, and even pointed out the paints used—breaking it all down clearly.
This left the brothers enlightened, exclaiming that Ramirez was a true appraisal master.
After all, knowing something was fake wasn’t enough—you had to explain why it was fake, and why the real ones were real.
His judgment had to hold up under scrutiny, so the brothers would be convinced.
Some of their paintings were genuine, some weren’t—but they were still satisfied with his assessment.
They even invited Ramirez to visit their villa.
At any other time, Ramirez would’ve gladly accepted.
Having two NPCs recognize your skills was no small thing.
In this Weird World, NPCs with villas were never simple figures.
But now wasn’t the time. The rules also said not to accept any requests to travel together—and this invitation essentially counted as one, just in a more subtle form.
Ramirez was a practical man. “I appreciate your invitation, but I have other matters to attend to. However, about the payment…?”
“Haha, don’t worry—we keep our word. Here’s your reward.”
The older brother handed him a pocket watch with a ring attached.
The younger brother gave him an old banknote that had a strange smell to it.
Since Ramirez couldn’t see, he could only feel its texture and sniff it.
He wondered if the guy had fished it out of a gutter.
But since it was a quest reward, he took it—after all, he had no bargaining chips yet.
And then, the trap appeared.
The older brother suddenly said, “These fakes are useless to me now. Why don’t I just give them to you?”
The younger brother said the same—he’d spent money on his painting, and it’d be a shame to throw it away. If Ramirez didn’t mind, he could have it.
At this point, if a greedy Chosen One accepted, they’d be breaking the rules.
After all, gifts are free—they’re not earned through your own labor.
Ramirez nearly fell for it. He almost reached out, tempted by the thought of getting extra items.
Maybe these could come in handy later.
But then it hit him like a thunderbolt—this is a trap!
I help you two out, and you try to screw me over?
Classic Weird World—he’d nearly been had.
But he couldn’t say that outright. Instead, he politely declined: “No thanks, I’m satisfied with what I’ve got. I’m not the greedy type.”
The brothers seemed a little disappointed—though whether it was because he didn’t take the items or because he didn’t fall for their trap, no one could say.
In this level, anyone who’d genuinely curried favor with the raspy-voiced old man could pass through.
Even Sidney had humbled himself and flattered the old man, so he could also identify paintings.
The audience was curious: Dragon Country’s Celestial Master didn’t just fail to flatter the old man—he barely even spoke to him, and on the second day, he killed him outright.
Even if his comprehension was heaven-defying, how could he know how to identify paintings in the Weird World without being taught?
Some argued that Zhang Yangqing must have had that skill in real life, and was just applying it here.
But antique experts who watched closely said that was impossible.
They’d seen the conversations between the Chosen Ones and the old man over the past few days—the appraisal methods were completely different from those used on Blue Star.
Using Blue Star techniques wouldn’t work on the Weird World’s antiques.
The materials, paints, and craftsmanship were all vastly different. So these experts believed Zhang Yangqing would have to brute-force his way through this time.
But outside, a group of his fans pushed back: “Just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean Celestial Master Zhang can’t.”
And so, Zhang Yangqing’s screen became a hot topic of debate.
Many people tuned in just to see how he’d handle the roadside brothers.
They stared intently at the screen—and their eyes went wide.
The Celestial Master paused briefly upon hearing the brothers argue, then walked on without so much as glancing at them.
This worried the audience.
Oh no, Celestial Master Zhang was too relaxed in the last stage, and now he’s missed some crucial details.
Sigh, I know his pride wouldn’t let him grovel to an NPC, but now’s not the time to stand on ceremony. Even the holy knight from Ramen Country humbled himself.
Why are you all panicking? It’s just one appraisal. Who says this road only has one chance? There’ll be plenty more tasks ahead.
I think Zhang Yangqing probably judged this quest as useless and moved on to find another one.
The audience had all sorts of opinions, but the Chosen Ones didn’t hesitate—they kept moving forward.
Whenever they encountered someone, they’d strike up a conversation, asking if help was needed, if there was any trouble, and so on.
They were all hoping to trade their labor for rewards.
Anything given for free—or anything left lying on the ground—couldn’t be picked up.
Because those were “free” items.
Not rewards earned through their own effort.
All these traps gave many Chosen Ones a headache. Why were there so many pitfalls on this stretch of road?
Aside from painting appraisal, there were also tasks like weapon repair, unlocking mechanisms, and helping with puzzles—many of which could be “learned” back at the villa.
All the Chosen Ones—except Zhang Yangqing—had seriously explored the villa.
On the first floor, you could learn how to identify paintings. On the second floor, there was a man who could teach you how to open mechanisms and repair weapons.
As for other tasks—like puzzles, Rubik’s cubes, tree trimming, and so on—it wasn’t that the Chosen Ones didn’t want to do them. It was that they were time-consuming and required no real skill.
Take puzzles, for example. There were so many pieces—it wasn’t that they couldn’t finish, but it would take ages to get everything right.
And this was a road—with people constantly passing by. What if someone ruined the pieces?
Rubik’s cubes? Forget it. The Chosen Ones were blind, and A-rank demons didn’t have the intelligence for it. Were they supposed to have the dog solve it?
The most ridiculous task was tree trimming. That was a definite no-go—because it was entirely subjective. You’d have to keep trimming until the passerby was satisfied.
What if they weren’t? They’d just keep you stuck here forever!
At this stage, some Chosen Ones also went on the offensive, hunting down lone passersby.
This showed the benefit of not wasting the A-rank demons’ stamina on the uphill climb.
If the guide dog and the demon gave the all-clear and no one else was around, they’d strike.
If the A-rank demon had no energy left, they wouldn’t be able to handle the passersby either.
But in this round of draws, most Chosen Ones didn’t get A-ranks, let alone S-ranks.
Only seventeen lucky ones pulled B-rank demons. The rest got C or D, or even lower.
Some, after getting a C, got stubborn and drew again—only to get a D.
The drop rates had many Chosen Ones cursing the key demon for being a cheat.
These things are useless in a fight! And they cost me my lifespan!
Some even wondered if there were any S-rank or above demons in the pool at all.
Or maybe they were drawing the wrong way—did they need special offerings?
While everyone else had terrible luck with draws, Zhang Yangqing’s side was pulling too.
After having her demons take down a passerby she deemed a “bad guy,” the loli girl kept drawing.
She ended up with an A-rank demon—and she was pissed, thinking her luck was garbage to get something so mediocre.
A-rank demon: First of all, I didn’t do anything to anyone!
Other Chosen Ones: Are you even listening to yourself?
