Chapter 297: How Is What You’re Doing Any Different From Robbery!
While the audience was chatting, Zhang Yangqing had already led his team to the entrance of the mysterious shop.
After the loli girl knocked on the door, that fat, crooked merchant walked out.
“May I ask what brings all of you honored guests to my humble shop?”
The merchant was a bit startled to see so many people outside.
Moreover, these people all seemed to have quite the presence. Demons were especially formidable at night.
And with two S-rank demons among them, the merchant didn’t dare let his guard down too much.
He might not fear other Chosen Ones, but he had no confidence in dealing with the ones before him.
Still, he wasn’t afraid either—after all, this was his turf.
Zhang Yangqing wasted no time and cut straight to the point: “Do you have raincoats and umbrellas here? We need a lot, and we can trade with you.”
Hearing that, the merchant’s grin widened. So you’re Night Travelers, and you need something from me? And you need a lot, huh?
Wasn’t this practically begging him to jack up the price?
Never underestimate a merchant’s nerve—these tradesmen were sly to the core.
When profits hit 10%, they’d start getting restless.
When profits hit 50%, they’d take risks.
When profits hit 300%, they’d dare to risk the gallows.
Upon hearing Zhang Yangqing’s request, the merchant immediately began price-gouging.
Two gold watches for one raincoat. One gold necklace for one umbrella. Everything else would be priced separately.
His pricing might fool freshly arrived Chosen Ones or guide dogs who didn’t know the local rates.
But there was no way he could fool the loli girl, who was a native resident.
The loli girl was furious and started cursing outright: “You shameless crook! You’re taking advantage of us in a crisis! How could a raincoat possibly cost this much?! This isn’t right!”
The merchant just shrugged. “These are the prices here. If you don’t want to buy, you’re free to leave.”
After all, the weather looked like rain was coming. Since you’re in need, you’ll have to pay the price.
Just as the loli girl was about to argue with the merchant, Zhang Yangqing stopped her and said, “These are the rules of this place. We have to abide by them, since we’re doing business. We just have to pay whatever price he asks.”
Hearing that, the loli girl was dumbfounded.
She thought Zhang Yangqing would just trash the place.
After all, last time you smashed up an entire stage just because it was blocking your way.
And now you’re suddenly being reasonable? Since when were you the reasonable type?
If Zhang Yangqing knew she was thinking that, he’d definitely say: I’ve always been very reasonable.
The merchant, hearing Zhang Yangqing’s words, beamed with delight, thinking he’d landed a cash cow—and even regretted not setting his prices higher.
“This gentleman speaks wisely! Ours is a small business built on fairness—quality goods, honest prices, no cheating.”
The loli girl stomped off to the side, arms crossed, grinding her jagged teeth in frustration—clearly fuming.
She wore her heart on her sleeve and made no effort to hide her feelings.
Not only did she not understand, but even the viewers familiar with Zhang Yangqing were confused. Since when was Master Zhang the reasonable type?
And besides, where did Master Zhang even get gold watches and gold necklaces to trade? Didn’t you smash that stage to bits?
And the stuff you picked up was free loot—worthless junk with no real value.
Just as everyone was baffled, Zhang Yangqing crooked his finger, and an S-rank demon instantly appeared beside him.
It was even faster than when the loli girl summoned her own servants.
“Boss, what can I do for you?”
The S-rank demon asked flatteringly.
The other S-rank demon, having been too slow to seize the chance to suck up to Zhang Yangqing, fumed on the side.
That guy was summoned after me, yet he’s faster than I am? What the hell.
Damn it, if I’d known, I wouldn’t have warned him earlier and let him get beaten up instead.
Zhang Yangqing whispered a few words into this demon’s ear. The demon nodded, ran off to the nearby woods, picked up a few stones, wiped the dirt off them, and handed them to Zhang Yangqing.
At this point, no one had any idea what was about to happen. Some viewers even wondered if Master Zhang was about to put on a live demonstration of turning stone into gold.
But many viewers pointed out that was just a myth—the material composition of the two was completely different.
Yet what happened next left everyone—except Zhang Yangqing—utterly stunned.
Without any alteration, Zhang Yangqing handed a perfectly ‘ordinary’ stone to the merchant and said, “This stone is a rare mineral I obtained from Olaitidolia Hilamisti. It’s completely natural, unpolished, and top-tier in both luster and quality—worth far more than four gold watches. Trading it for two raincoats is more than fair. No need to give me change.”
Merchant: “???”
Loli Girl: “…”
Audience: “…”
The merchant’s round eyes were practically bulging out of his head.
He felt like both his intelligence and his eyesight had been grossly insulted.
Holy crap, never mind the damn thing’s value—you just made up that name on the spot, didn’t you?!
Go ahead, say that name again—I dare you! I’ll believe you then!
And isn’t this just a rock from the edge of my own house?! Do you think I’m blind or what?!
“No need to give me change”? This crap is literally everywhere!
The merchant felt like a stampede of mythical beasts was charging through his heart. He understood now—this guy wasn’t here to trade; he was here to cause trouble!
So the merchant sneered, “Sir, this item is truly beyond value. I’ll go get your raincoats right away.”
He had been about to say that Zhang Yangqing’s offering was complete garbage and was even ready to call for backup.
But as soon as he spoke those few words, a sword sharp as a divine weapon appeared at his throat.
The terrifying aura emanating from that blade painted a vivid image in the merchant’s mind: his head being lopped off again and again.
Only a weapon that had taken enough lives could emanate such killing intent.
And what was most terrifying was the sudden surge of pressure radiating from this blind man before him.
At that moment, Zhang Yangqing was like a god descending upon the earth, shaking heaven and earth.
The entire village fell silent; all who had lit their lamps immediately blew them out in terror.
It was practically a white flag raised—begging the one unleashing this aura not to come after them.
The merchant himself felt as though he were on the guillotine; one wrong word and it would be his head.
Zhang Yangqing’s cultivation needed no explanation.
You can set the price—that’s your right as the shop owner. I won’t question that.
But I can set the price too—that’s the right my power gives me. You dare question me?
That was exactly why the merchant changed his tune so quickly.
After all, he was greedy, but not stupid enough to lose his life over it.
Now everyone in the village was cowering. The creatures in his shop probably couldn’t even handle the S-rank demons beside Zhang Yangqing, let alone negotiate with the man himself.
“We’ll take the items ourselves. No need to trouble you, boss.”
Zhang Yangqing said this with absurd politeness, letting his ‘tools’ go inside and grab the gear.
If you ignored the sword in his hand, you’d think he was just making a deal.
In truth, as soon as he got the rules, Zhang Yangqing had already guessed there would be bartering and that quests would yield items.
Based on his experience, the value of items depended on the Chosen One’s capability.
If you were weak, you had to pay the native’s price. But if you had the strength? Then the price was whatever you said it was.
So he never even planned to do the quests.
This was the veteran’s ability to predict future plot points just from reading the rules.
He’d actually figured out part of this back in the Haunted Mansion.
The later plot was definitely tied to the ‘hints’ from the beginner village.
Why were there so many treasures in the Haunted Mansion?
It meant this round had something to do with wealth.
Seeing Zhang Yangqing easily get his hands on raincoats—and high-quality ones at that—the viewers lost it.
: Starts with a rock, and the value is all made up, huh? That name is legendary.
: Honestly, Master Zhang could’ve just robbed the place, but he still gave the guy a rock. I’m so moved!
: This actually works?! How did Master Zhang even come up with such an absurd trade?
: Even more absurd is that he still didn’t break any rules.
: When it comes to not playing by the rules, Master Zhang never fails to surprise me.
Zhang Yangqing’s ridiculously slick move was something the audience never saw coming.
But was that the end of it? Of course not.
Zhang Yangqing had so many people with him—two raincoats would never be enough.
It’s not like I’m robbing you; I’m trading with you.
Don’t worry about what I’m giving you; just ask yourself: is it a trade or not?
That rock came out of the dirt, I wiped it clean, and I handed it to you—that’s gotta count for some labor cost, right?
As long as it has value, I can set the price however I want.
The loli girl stared wide-eyed with her big, sparkling eyes. This actually works?
So she picked up a rock from the ground, made up her own story, handed it to the merchant, and waltzed inside to grab a raincoat.
In that moment, she too tasted the feeling of throwing her weight around thanks to a powerful backer.
Turns out, when you’ve got strength, you don’t need to reason with others—you just need to state your truth.
This only deepened her obsession with power.
Zhang Yangqing even reminded the demons hauling things, “Be careful when you’re moving stuff. Don’t take anything you shouldn’t. We’re not bandits—we’re trading fairly.”
That remark utterly broke the merchant’s spirit.
He was used to ripping off customers—never thought he’d be the one getting ripped off.
How is what you’re doing any different from robbery!
The silver lining was that Zhang Yangqing only wanted rain gear, and the loli girl had no interest in his treasures, so his losses weren’t catastrophic.
Not only did the merchant not get angry or desperate, he even kept a smiling face and saw them off with courtesy.
In fact, as Zhang Yangqing left, he even threw in some effective rainproof gear for free—just begging them never to set foot in his shop again.
Zhang Yangqing could accept gifts, but he had to trade fairly.
This left the viewers feeling incredibly satisfied—as if Zhang Yangqing had avenged all the frustration other Chosen Ones had suffered.
Other Chosen Ones had been tormented all night and were seething with anger.
Zhang Yangqing, meanwhile, had tormented others all night and was in a great mood.
Inside the Horror Tale World, though some Chosen Ones’ screens had gone dark, the Night Walk continued.
The air grew humid, and thunder rumbled across the sky.
“Looks like it’s about to rain. Those with umbrellas use them, those with raincoats put them on—don’t get wet.”
Zhang Yangqing instructed his group.
Since these guys weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed—unlike the one-eyed kid from last round—he had to tell them what was coming step by step.
Even S-rank demons, in his eyes, were no better than guide dogs.
If he didn’t still need them to work for him, he wouldn’t have bothered with all this.
As everyone busily put on their rain gear, the audience noticed just how good the quality of Master Zhang’s raincoats and umbrellas was.
Nothing like the junk the other Chosen Ones got.
Even if it was junk, at least they got something—but theirs were old and worn-out too.
No helping it, though—his crew had gone in and picked the best ones for themselves.
Other Chosen Ones had to take whatever the merchant handed them. No choice—at least it kept the rain off.
The downpour came exactly as predicted—right on time.
The rain hit the ground with crisp pitter-patters, like countless little beads bouncing and skipping.
The Chosen Ones didn’t rush ahead. They had the demons check for the moon first.
Demons had sharp eyes. One spotted a faint, blurry moon ahead, guiding the Chosen Ones forward.
It seemed the rain only covered this stretch—like daytime sunshowers that fell in specific areas.
At this stage, those whose demons had died had to rely on their guide dogs.
But the guide dogs were overworked—scouting ahead to avoid puddles and waterlogged ground while also checking the moon. They were stretched thin.
The more helpers you had, the easier this round. Especially with more rule-related events yet to appear—whether they could make it out safely depended on their assistants.
During this rainy stretch, the Chosen Ones dared not walk too fast. A fall would ruin all their progress.
The guide dogs did their best to find the easiest paths.
After about ten minutes of walking, the guide dogs and demons suddenly stopped.
“What’s going on?”
Ramirez, the Chosen One from Argentina, asked nervously.
His combat power was low, so any trouble made him anxious.
Other Chosen Ones felt the same—those with more fighting power stayed calmer.
“Master, there’s a woman at the platform over there. She seems to be calling us over. What should we do?”
The demons followed orders faithfully, giving no advice of their own.
Only S-rank and above had independent judgment—the rest just reported facts.
This left the Chosen Ones deep in thought.
In such a dangerous place, it was better to stay out of trouble.
If they ran into danger, their combat power might not be enough.
But could this woman’s appearance here be related to the quest?
This was a platform, after all.
“Could contacting her trigger the carriage encounter?”
Ramirez was quick to connect the dots.
After all, platforms and carriages were linked, and the carriage mentioned in the rules hadn’t appeared yet—meaning he hadn’t triggered the ‘Lucky’ quest yet.
So, gathering his courage, Ramirez led his people over.
“Excuse me, do you need any help?”
Ramirez was as direct as ever—time before dawn was running out.
The haggling in Silent Village had wasted too much of it; he couldn’t afford delays.
Under the sheltered platform stood a voluptuous noblewoman with a strikingly alluring figure.
She wore a sheer nightgown. In the dim night, her graceful, curvaceous silhouette was faintly visible, offering a tantalizing temptation.
Her shivering from the cold only made her curves more enchanting, stirring the most primal desires in any opposite sex.
The audience couldn’t sit still—they pressed up against their screens, swallowing hard.
They wished the Chosen Ones would get closer so they could see better.
Don’t ask what the Chosen Ones felt—they were all blind and couldn’t see a thing.
The audience breathed a sigh of relief—thank goodness they were blind, or this round would’ve claimed a lot of lives.
When the noblewoman heard their question, her soul-stealing voice chimed in.
She said she’d been waiting for the carriage here, but it never arrived. And now it was raining, and she was cold—she wanted to go home.
Her villa was up on the mountain—could the Chosen Ones escort her back?
Once she was home, she’d reward them handsomely.
Just her seductive tone made many Chosen Ones’ hearts race.
Good thing they were blind—otherwise, trouble would surely follow.
But Ramirez knew this was a blatant trap.
I might get a reward for taking you home, but if I don’t come back, that’s game over.
It was a life-or-death choice—entirely up to the Chosen Ones.
Some would take the risk even knowing it was a trap, hoping for that sliver of survival.
Because this would split the Chosen Ones into two groups.
Those who’d wasted too much time earlier—moving too slowly through previous rounds—were already past the three-hour mark, close to four.
That meant dawn was approaching.
There was still a stretch ahead. If they couldn’t be sure of making it before sunrise, they needed shelter.
Helping this noblewoman and staying in her villa might be their only option.
Even knowing the danger, they had to choose—there was no way around it.
If they didn’t, they wouldn’t survive the daylight, and even more unpredictable dangers might await them.
At least if they escorted her up the mountain, even with risks, there was a chance of survival.
Here’s a deadly detail—Rule 6.
[Rule 6: If you encounter any group claiming to be fellow travelers on the road, do NOT accept their request to travel together. However, you may engage in brief conversation.]
Completing an NPC’s quest did yield rewards, but triggering a death rule wasn’t worth it.
Finding a way to send her back without breaking the rules—that was what the Chosen Ones had to figure out.
Ramirez kept that rule in mind at all times. He didn’t have much time left, but he still had more than others, so he politely declined.
Still, since it was clearly a quest, he offered the noblewoman his demon’s umbrella and told her to go back on her own.
After receiving the umbrella, the noblewoman gave Ramirez a carriage ticket in return.
She wouldn’t need to wait for the carriage anymore.
With that ticket, Ramirez could board any passing carriage—or perhaps it was the trigger for the carriage to appear.
Those who ignored the noblewoman and walked away naturally couldn’t board.
On the surface, that seemed like the optimal solution.
But an even smarter move was coming.
Zhang Yangqing, after hearing the full story, said to the noblewoman, “Let’s travel together.”
The rule said I can’t accept her request to travel together—but it didn’t say I couldn’t invite her to come with me.
I’ve been waiting all this time—so the rule was about you after all.
This was the hint only Zhang Yangqing had caught.
And it was exactly why he’d been inviting other passersby to join him the entire journey.
