Chapter 306: Taking Them In Won’t Work, Not Taking Them In Won’t Work Either—What Do You Want Me to Do?!
“As they say in the Dragon Country: this is like ‘absurdity’s mother opening the door for absurdity—absurdity has come home to roost.’ How the hell did he still manage to get out?”
Gregori stared at the screen in disbelief as Zhang Yangqing settled and exited the instance.
His remark left the nearby clergy a bit stunned. Where did you even hear that saying? It sounds so twisted.
Gregori ignored them and focused on rewatching the footage.
Since he’d been monitoring multiple screens at once, he’d already suspected that Zhang Yangqing had accidentally killed the final boss, which might have prevented the rest of the plot from unfolding.
It could have even made it impossible for him to complete the instance, potentially putting him in danger if the horror world collapsed.
While losing a top-tier “pioneer” would certainly be a loss for Blue Star, Gregori—as a key figure in the Church faction—wasn’t exactly hoping to see the Daoist sect grow so rapidly either.
If something happened to Zhang Yangqing inside, most of the top-tier supernatural beings would probably be thrilled.
But the irony was that Zhang Yangqing had found a way out that left even the strongest supernaturals dumbfounded—and he was the first one out, no less.
Gregori couldn’t hold it in anymore. Am I just too straightforward in my approach to the horror world? Is that why I’m only this good?
There was a saying for this: No wonder he can casually score SSSSS while I’m busting my ass just to scrape by with SSSS—that’s the gap, huh.
So far, Gregori was one of the few who had rewatched Zhang Yangqing’s clear footage the most.
He carefully analyzed it and realized: Zhang Yangqing might look like he’s messing around, but everything actually follows a pattern.
“I think I get it now,” Gregori said suddenly. “His playstyle is all about raising the margin for error. Even if he makes a mistake, there’s always something beyond the rules’ expectations to fill the gap. That’s how he’s been able to clear the later stages so quickly.”
His words left many of his colleagues baffled.
So he patiently explained—sharing his insights openly.
In Gregori’s view, the Dragon Country’s Celestial Master always had a bunch of followers by his side.
These were things normal Chosen Ones couldn’t obtain, and Gregori referred to them as “trial-and-error buffers.”
Put more bluntly: Gregori believed the Celestial Master had already prepared backup plans in advance.
Whenever his main plan hit a snag, he’d rely on those around him to find alternative ways to complete the mission.
Take the previous stage, for example: the Celestial Master had too many followers.
He wouldn’t have been able to complete the hidden mission—poisoning two insect eggs—without them, since having more people meant carrying more doses of the drug.
Otherwise, he would’ve had to fight the new mother insect head-on, just like Gregori did.
This stage was the same: he’d messed up and killed the king ahead of time, but then had the young girl step in as a replacement, and ended up clearing it faster than anyone.
That was completely unexpected.
Hearing this, a blonde, glasses-wearing cardinal asked with skepticism, “Wasn’t that just luck? If it hadn’t been that long-lived NPC, could he have cleared it with anyone else?”
Gregori shook his head. “Not necessarily. Haven’t you noticed? In the starting areas, many NPCs have unique traits that can be used later on. The key is to make use of the people around you to build your strategy—not to build a strategy first and then look for the right people. The former is far more sophisticated.”
The red-haired, glasses-wearing cardinal fell silent, because it was true.
It’s like with weapons: you wouldn’t wander the world looking for a sword if you only knew swordsmanship.
The Dragon Country’s Celestial Master picked up whatever was available and mastered it on the spot—that was what made him terrifying.
Sometimes Gregori thought Zhang Yangqing was just lucky. But when he rewatched the things Zhang had said during this run, the more he felt there was something deeper at play.
Because all along the way, the Celestial Master seemed to be steering the girl toward a certain outcome.
It gave the impression that, somehow, everything was within his control.
You could say he broke the rules—but everything he did was still accomplished under their guidance.
It’s just that his ending was completely different from most other Chosen Ones’.
After Gregori finished speaking, the Church colleagues around him all wore expressions of “sudden realization.”
Whether they truly understood or not—since everyone else seemed to get it, if you showed confusion at that moment, wouldn’t you look foolish?
Whether they were cardinals or paladins, they all tossed out a few vague remarks to show they were totally on board.
But then, the usually quiet Pope suddenly added, “You’re right, but not entirely. His greatest ‘trial-and-error buffer’ is himself.”
The Pope was subtly reminding Gregori—and being very tactful about it.
You don’t have the skill to pull that off, so don’t try it. If you do, you could die in the very first round.
The Celestial Master could play that way because his power exceeded the current horror world’s dimensions.
Although the Pope had never been inside, someone at his level could still glean things by observing others of a similar caliber.
To put it bluntly: he couldn’t guarantee he’d do better than Zhang Yangqing if he went in. But when it came to offering commentary, he was far more perceptive than most.
If Zhang Yangqing ever heard the Pope say that, he’d give him a big thumbs up and say, “Now that’s what I like to hear!”
Still, Gregori’s point about trial-and-error buffers wasn’t wrong either. Zhang Yangqing believed that with more people around, he’d always find a solution when problems arose—and this approach had never failed him.
Gregori also decided that next time he went in, he’d find a partner in the starting area to speed up his later progress.
His idea was to find NPCs with similar goals and negotiate cooperation—unlike Zhang Yangqing, who just grabbed whoever was nearby and “made them cooperate,” often with the implicit threat of instant death if they refused.
Compiling all these details into a book, Gregori could practically publish The Dragon Country Celestial Master’s Horror World Guide.
At this point, his research on Zhang Yangqing had almost surpassed his study of the Bible.
He also understood that brute force and technique were just icing on the cake. Without understanding the rules, even the strongest could fall to instant-death effects, contamination, or viruses.
Closing his book, Gregori let out a long sigh. His injuries were severe—he probably wouldn’t be able to enter the horror world again anytime soon.
So he checked on his colleague Sidney’s progress.
Sidney was someone who took advice seriously. He always followed Gregori’s strategies to clear instances.
Even when he had the strength to fight certain monsters head-on, he still used the people and items around him as much as possible, avoiding direct contact with dangerous entities.
Unlike the British supernatural Campbell, who thought being on home turf gave him the advantage and got reckless—and ended up dead.
Gregori believed that the more familiar you were with the environment, the more cautious you should be.
Based on his professional judgment, Sidney wouldn’t complete his objective until tomorrow at the earliest. Tonight, he’d at most find the dungeon and the Royal Coin, and only use the Skeleton Knights to verify the king’s identity tomorrow.
If he was lucky, he might finish the hidden mission the day after.
At Dragon Tiger Mountain, Zhang Yangqing saw that the other Chosen Ones weren’t finishing anytime soon, so he got up to go rest in his room.
Just then, Senior Brother Su Muyu suddenly asked, “After you leave—if the story continues in there—what do you think will happen to that girl?”
Because Su Muyu knew that Zhang Yangqing usually dealt with a few loose ends before leaving, granting some favor to those who had followed him.
In Daoist terms, this was called building good karma.
You do what you need to do, and leave the rest to fate.
Zhang Yangqing yawned and said, “She’s probably going to go through a phase of arrogance for quite a while. After all, she’s reached the peak of power now, and she’s stubborn by nature. She listened to me, but that doesn’t mean she’ll listen to anyone else. Either she’ll become a bloodthirsty queen who crushes her era, or she’ll be overthrown and fall into the abyss.”
Zhang Yangqing generally didn’t leave messes behind for his allies.
The snake-eyed kid got top-tier strength. The one-eyed boy had his poison cured and got two powerful demon crows as companions.
And this young girl had reached the absolute pinnacle of power.
All of this, in a way, subconsciously made everyone who watched his screen want to follow him.
He projected an unparalleled aura of leadership.
Because everyone could see: if you stick with him and just do what he says, even if the sky falls, he’ll hold it up.
Who could resist that kind of damn reassuring security?
Zhang Yangqing never tried to project that image intentionally—but he gave off that feeling anyway.
In a chaotic era of supernatural calamity, ordinary people were most in need of faith.
Not long ago, a major international media outlet ran a poll:
[If you were thrown into a horror world and could call one person for help, who would it be?]
Among all the candidates and top-tier supernaturals, the audience only searched for one reliable name—Zhang Yangqing.
His selection rate reached a terrifying 99%.
Forget all the people who talked trash about him on a daily basis—if they were actually thrown in there, who wouldn’t beg him to come help?
As netizens from around the world put it: if you choose someone else, surviving at all might be a question—because those people might even sell you out in a critical moment.
But if you call on Celestial Master Zhang, once he walks in, you can start thinking about what rewards you’ll get at settlement.
In the back courtyard of Dragon Tiger Mountain, after chatting with his senior brother for a while, Zhang Yangqing planned to head back and rest.
He was pretty tired after this horror run anyway, and it was getting late.
As Zhang Yangqing got up to leave, Su Muyu looked like he wanted to say something.
But he held back until Zhang had gone—maybe because he didn’t want to trouble him with it.
Normally, Su Muyu would have made the decision himself. But this issue was unusual, and he really did need Zhang Yangqing’s input.
After Zhang left, Zhang Xuanjing—the disciple in charge of training—walked in.
As someone with a relatively high status at Dragon Tiger Mountain, trained under both Zhang Yangqing and Su Muyu, he had shed his impatience and become very steady.
That was exactly why Su Muyu had started delegating some responsibilities to him.
After all, there were too many disciples at Dragon Tiger Mountain. The Celestial Master spent all his time running through horror worlds, and Su Muyu couldn’t manage everything alone.
“Senior Brother, how about I talk to him instead?”
Zhang Xuanjing knew this matter was putting Su Muyu in a tough spot.
If handled poorly, he could end up offending both sides—so Zhang Xuanjing volunteered to take it on.
Su Muyu understood the goodwill, but it wasn’t that simple. If I tell him, he might just curse me out. If you tell him, he might actually throw hands.
It’s not that I don’t trust you—I’d better handle this myself.
Let Zhang Yangqing rest tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow.
Night fell, inside the horror world.
The Chosen Ones were already blind, so they adapted even better to the darkness.
Those who had survived the banquet hall began sneaking into the palace’s main building to investigate.
The American Chosen One this time was pretty clever. During a deal with a merchant, he got his hands on a damaged map—which turned out to be a layout of the palace. By exploiting guard blind spots, he was the first to find the dungeon and its keys, and sneaked inside.
He successfully rescued the Red Cape Guard and returned to his room.
Back in his quarters, the American Chosen One was all smiles.
“I’ve got the perfect mix of luck and skill. The Dragon Country Celestial Master probably hasn’t even gotten this far yet, right?”
Satisfied with himself, he went to bed.
Truth be told, every Chosen One who felt they were doing well—or progressing faster than expected—would think something like this.
If I can just beat the Celestial Master to the finish line, I can brag about it for life!
But that left the American audience utterly speechless.
Uh… is there a chance the Celestial Master already cleared the instance and went to sleep ages ago?
The next day, Zhang Yangqing woke up.
He had a busy day ahead managing affairs at Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Early in the morning, his senior brother was already waiting for him at the stone table outside his door, sipping tea.
Seeing this, Zhang Yangqing even wondered if he’d overslept.
Before he could say anything, Su Muyu asked, “How are you feeling today?”
Zhang Yangqing replied casually, “Senior Brother, just say what you need to say. You don’t have to worry about my ability to handle it.”
He could tell Su Muyu had something on his mind—and if it was important enough for him to come in person, it was probably no small matter.
“Sigh. I hope you won’t start swinging—it’s bad for relations…”
Then Su Muyu laid it all out.
Last time Zhang Yangqing went to Kunlun Mountain, he’d promised Luo Hao of the Xiaoyao Sect that one of their disciples could come to Dragon Tiger Mountain for advanced training.
“Advanced training” essentially meant doing grunt work, receiving fewer resources—but in exchange, getting access to intelligence about the horror world.
That kind of intel was something the other six major associations had struggled desperately to obtain.
Last time, their public demand had been for Zhang Yangqing to give up his spot in the horror world—but in reality, they wanted him to share his intelligence.
Zhang Yangqing had seen through it, which was why he’d gone up and put them in their place.
He’d already said back then: if you just want the right to enter the horror world, go talk to the expert group. If they agree, I won’t object.
But if you think I’m easy to push around? Sorry—I’ll show you what ‘might makes right’ really means.
Not every supernatural being could farm resources inside—what they really needed was intel.
Paladin Sidney had performed so steadily precisely because he’d received Gregori’s intelligence.
That was exactly why so many people wanted to get information from Zhang Yangqing.
After the six association heads got beaten down, everyone realized that brute force wouldn’t work—they needed another approach.
Conveniently enough, the Xiaoyao Sect used their connections to slip a disciple into Dragon Tiger Mountain’s training program.
When other sects heard about that, all hell broke loose.
They scrambled to find every possible connection to get their own people in.
Some of those sect leaders had ties to the senior brother’s generation that Zhang Yangqing might not know about—but Su Muyu certainly did.
Again, not everyone could be as reckless as Zhang Yangqing.
In the Dragon Country’s cultivation world, you ran into the same faces all the time.
Many old-timers had once shown kindness to Su Muyu. He could turn down most requests, but some were just too hard to refuse.
Zhang Yangqing could afford to disrespect any elder, but Su Muyu—back when he was still a young apprentice—had received resources from these seniors and called them “Uncle-Master” and “Aunt-Master.”
Some of them had even taught him techniques or shared their special skills.
Su Muyu couldn’t just pretend none of that had ever happened, could he?
If word got out, rumors of him being an ungrateful disciple would spread like wildfire.
That was why he was so troubled. He just couldn’t shake off the burden of social obligations in Dragon Country culture.
Hearing this, Zhang Yangqing roughly understood. He could see how awkward this was for his senior brother.
He himself was too exceptional—so he could do whatever he wanted.
After all, being the head of the Daoist sect and holding the title of Celestial Master put him above anyone else’s ability to reason with him.
Plus, Zhang Yangqing had only been training for a short time. He’d barely met any senior figures, and never taken anything from them.
So he could just say he didn’t know them, and refuse to acknowledge anyone.
No one would dare say a thing.
And if anyone pushed him too far, Zhang Yangqing would just slap them—and they wouldn’t dare make a sound.
That left Su Muyu as the primary target for other factions.
Those old-timers who rarely came out of retirement—elderly cultivators on their last legs—all hobbled over to Dragon Tiger Mountain on their canes to personally visit Su Muyu. How could he not receive them?
They all had the same goal: get their juniors and beloved disciples into the Dragon Tiger Mountain training program.
To put it bluntly, even the meager resources allocated to Dragon Tiger Mountain were still more than what other sects got.
The old-timers had long-term vision: once a new generation took over the Dragon Country cultivation world, all the young leaders would have to listen to Zhang Yangqing anyway.
Building good relations with Dragon Tiger Mountain now could pay off enormously if spiritual energy ever revived.
Before Zhang Yangqing had even come back, Su Muyu and the others had already considered a few options.
Xiao Xuan suggested taking them in, but making things difficult for them so they’d give up and leave.
But the other senior disciples quickly shot that down.
Doing so would tarnish Dragon Tiger Mountain’s reputation. If you accept someone and they haven’t done anything wrong, making their lives difficult just makes you look petty and narrow-minded.
Xiao Xuan then suggested just rejecting everyone outright, since they owed them nothing.
But that was also tough. As the saying goes, “You don’t hit a smiling face.” These people came with flattering attitudes—old cultivation veterans personally lowering themselves to visit. The Celestial Master could afford to ignore them, but could they?
Xiao Xuan was completely fed up. “Taking them won’t work, not taking them won’t work—what do you want me to do? Kill them all?”
