Chapter 256: Arguing with Unreasonable People is Pointless!
The voice wasn’t very loud, but it carried a hint of authority.
That feeling made many people nearby tense up involuntarily.
Zhang Yangqing didn’t have that reaction. Without even turning around, he knew who it was.
But he seemed unwilling to answer. The lone wolf veteran covered with a laugh, saying, “There’s a well here. We’re investigating if it has any water.”
His statement was reasonable and, after all, the honest truth.
The middle-aged man walked over and took a look. Indeed, it was just as the lone wolf veteran had said.
Beneath the mask, no one could see his expression.
At times like this, the lone wolf veteran actually felt some pressure, since he had a guilty conscience.
The three female nurses also dared not look directly at the middle-aged man.
An intangible, oppressive aura weighed heavily on their hearts.
As the leader of the group, he seemed intent on using a superior attitude to warn these people not to cause trouble here, gradually consolidating his position within the team dynamic.
But after glancing at Zhang Yangqing, he started to speak, then hesitated, and finally shut his mouth.
Because Zhang Yangqing couldn’t be bothered with him and simply walked away.
You look at your stuff. What’s it to me?
This, however, aligned perfectly with the rebellious and untamed persona Zhang Yangqing had cultivated the previous day.
The middle-aged man wanted to say a few words to Zhang Yangqing, but feared Zhang Yangqing would retort with some arrogant remark that would catch him off guard.
Just like yesterday, when the kid spoke as if making things up on the fly.
The reason the middle-aged man thought this way was, of course, because he hadn’t witnessed Zhang Yangqing in action.
When people reach a certain age, they sometimes speak to younger folks in a lecturing tone.
Regardless of whether they have the skill or not, some rely on their seniority to boss around the younger generation.
If not for Zhang Yangqing’s ‘peculiar’ temperament, the man might have instinctively tried to scold him just now.
Little did he know how close he came to danger. Had he not held his tongue at the last moment, he was merely a step away from death.
After watching the middle-aged man leave, the lone wolf veteran and the three nurses seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief.
It felt as if they had just been suppressed by the man’s powerful presence.
What surprised them even more was Zhang Yangqing’s transcendently detached demeanor. He simply didn’t care about such an aura, leaving whenever he pleased without a shred of hesitation.
If Zhang Yangqing knew their thoughts, he’d surely be speechless. That was nothing. I just didn’t release mine. Otherwise, if any of you could still stand, I’d admit defeat.
The time had reached around six o’clock in the evening.
Most people in the temple had gathered in the central area.
There was a stone table with three stone stools beside it.
People weren’t clustered together but sat wherever suited their habits.
Some sought shade under the eaves, some leaned against trees, others squatted on railings.
Zhang Yangqing scanned the area. There were about thirteen people; two were missing.
One was likely the son from the family of four. The other was a lone wolf who had encountered trouble while out today and was now resting due to injury.
The three nurses had checked on him; the injury wasn’t severe, just slightly infected.
This infection was what the strange tale world called contamination. Contamination wasn’t permanent like a virus.
As long as it didn’t reach a certain threshold, rest would allow recovery.
However, this green-marked lone wolf likely wouldn’t be able to go out tomorrow.
The specific cause of the contamination was something other Chosen Ones would need to investigate.
Zhang Yangqing didn’t need to; the three nurses proactively told him.
Reportedly, while investigating the underground waterways, he had been attacked by an unknown strange creature.
This creature inherently possessed contamination, reportedly had super-regenerative abilities, many black tentacles, and a body so black it gleamed. Most exaggeratedly, its combat prowess was immense.
Allegedly, if the green-marked team hadn’t run fast enough, they might not have made it out.
Avoiding casualties was attributed to the middle-aged man’s competent leadership.
Hearing this from the nurses, a more realistic idea formed in Zhang Yangqing’s mind.
“Could this strange creature… be a bizarre cockroach?”
Cockroaches possessed tenacious vitality, likely formidable combat ability, and frequented sewers.
Most importantly, if they carried inherent contamination, they’d be troublesome to deal with.
And if there was one there, it likely meant there were more.
At this thought, many Chosen Ones felt goosebumps rise.
But upon reflection, they remembered they still had disinfectant. Didn’t that mean while others couldn’t enter the city via the sewers, they could?
A strategy formed in the mind of Hild, the Transcendent from Hans Country: So the sequence is like this: On the first day, I was assigned to the purple-marked team to familiarize myself with the area and discover items mentioned in the rules.
On the second day, based on my discoveries, I need to decipher events and obtain the items specified in the rules, since my task that day is guarding the camp.
On the third day, my task is exploring the passages. I can use the intelligence I’ve gathered, leverage the power of the disinfectant, and carry other items into the city to find the doctor.
This was the typical flow for a Chosen One, assuming they weren’t attempting the hidden mission.
After all, disinfectant seemed unique to the Chosen Ones; no one else had been observed carrying any, though that didn’t mean they didn’t possess it.
Meaning, the people here were all tools the Chosen Ones could utilize. When they ceased to be useful, the Chosen Ones needed to discard them promptly.
Hild felt as if a switch had flipped in his brain; he could almost predict the procedures for tomorrow and the day after.
Why was he so clever now?
Because he was currently perched on a tree branch. With his feet off the ground, his intellect had reclaimed the high ground.
He seemed to have discovered a personal quirk: whenever faced with a difficult problem, he should go somewhere high to think. That’s how his mind opened up.
He bitterly regretted not realizing this talent earlier. If he had, wouldn’t he be close to an SSSS rating by now?
Other Chosen Ones were also making their own plans. Gregori, being more steady, was considering how to determine if the couple’s children were insect-humans and how to track them to find the insect nest.
Since he intended to complete the hidden mission, his considerations had to be more extensive than Hild’s.
“If the nest is inside, do I need to bring an insect-human with me for them to lead me to its location? Meaning, do I need to cooperate with that family of four?”
This was what Gregori was pondering, having already begun to deduce that the insect nest might not be outside.
As the Chosen Ones were deep in thought, the middle-aged man seated on the stone stool began the day’s summary.
His crow mask was somewhat old, lending him a weathered, world-weary air.
Combined with his steady, weighty speech, he commanded rapt attention.
One had to admit, as a leader, he possessed some skill.
First, naturally, the team leaders reported their results, ensuring everyone understood the progress of the other teams.
After the leaders finished speaking, the middle-aged man first praised the purple-marked team—Zhang Yangqing’s team.
Because in this place, food was crucial for survival. The purple-marked team had indeed delivered, procuring a good amount of quality food, now stored in a small room.
At this point, the middle-aged man’s son, who was squatting nearby with a somewhat fierce gaze, felt displeased.
He believed that although the purple-marked team found abundant food, eating the best ingredients without permission before the other teams arrived showed disrespect for the group.
He didn’t name names, but his gaze shifted towards Zhang Yangqing.
Upon arriving, he had seen the fruit peels and the barbecue grill, and the team on guard duty had told him this guy had eaten a lot.
He was like a child spoiled by a leader, believing he should be the first to enjoy the best food and drink.
Now, the other party had not only eaten but done so in his absence, stirring feelings of discontent.
Faced with the middle-aged man’s son’s accusation, Zhang Yangqing couldn’t be bothered to respond. The son had made a fatal mistake.
In Zhang Yangqing’s team, one thing they definitely didn’t lack was women.
When it comes to arguing logic, trying to reason with women who have no intention of being reasonable is utterly futile.
The son had only muttered a single complaint before the three nurses verbally tore him to shreds.
These three nurses were outspoken and said whatever was on their minds.
Dare to question our idol? You must have a death wish!
If not for the middle-aged man smoothing things over, his son might have been subjected to their sarcastic barbs for much longer.
Seeing his son still defiant and about to retort, the middle-aged man shot him a glare, and the son obediently found a spot to squat. Though his head was lowered, the ferocity in his eyes was hard to conceal.
The middle-aged man was also somewhat dissatisfied with the purple-marked team’s actions, but he didn’t voice it.
Perhaps past experiences, like teammates disobeying orders leading to a team’s collapse and heavy casualties, had made him demanding of others.
But what does that have to do with me, Zhang Yangqing? I’m just a passerby clearing the level.
Everyone was reluctantly gathered here to get through this together. If you find me an eyesore, feel free to come and try to kill me—if you can.
This little interlude concluded. The middle-aged man’s crowd-control ability held firm.
Next, he supplemented and analyzed the various pieces of intelligence reported by the three team leaders, ensuring everyone understood what the other teams had been doing.
He also made sure everyone clearly understood their team’s tasks for the following day.
Here, through observation, Zhang Yangqing noticed that all three teams had likely withheld some information.
For instance, his own team concealed finding the black mandarin oranges and the matter regarding the statues’ eyes.
The green-marked team probably hid some secret passages they’d discovered.
The red-marked team concealed useful items they found near the temple, keeping them for themselves.
But overall, progress had been made today, and the future seemed promising.
To conclude the meeting, the middle-aged man served everyone a dose of motivational platitudes.
He said that so many people here came from different places, united only by coincidence.
Calling it solidarity would be too hypocritical; at best, they were working towards a common goal.
If they didn’t quickly find a way inside, everyone would die out here.
He hoped everyone could utilize their abilities and overcome this hardship together.
This kind of practical talk was acceptable to everyone; it was realistic and helped boost morale.
If Zhang Yangqing were the leader, he wouldn’t need platitudes. Just his presence alone would serve as the team’s pillar of support!
After dinner, everyone busied themselves with their own tasks.
As for selecting people for night watch duty from each team, once chosen, the arrangements fell to the middle-aged man.
Those scheduled for night watch could rest now and sleep until their shift.
Each team conferred within their designated areas.
Within the purple-marked team, even though a female nurse was the designated leader and the lone wolf veteran was experienced, Zhang Yangqing held absolute authority.
Anyone who had witnessed Zhang Yangqing in action wouldn’t dare overstep his bounds.
Everyone wisely kept Zhang Yangqing’s strength a secret. After all, unless seen with one’s own eyes, such power would be unbelievable.
Seeing everyone awaiting his instructions, Zhang Yangqing began delegating tasks.
He told the lone wolf veteran to rest now and take the night watch.
Around eight o’clock that night, the one-eyed young man was to pretend to clean the open-eyed statue and close its eyes. Soon after, torrential rain would follow.
This rain, lasting all night, should fill the well to a certain level.
Then, during the shift change tomorrow morning, the lone wolf veteran would open the statue’s eyes again.
Manipulating just this one statue was enough to control the weather.
As for the other team members, they should rest well tonight and rotate duties tomorrow.
At this stage, other Chosen Ones needed to volunteer for night watch, as only then could they find excuses to tamper with the statues.
They also needed to observe the condition of the well water.
Zhang Yangqing delegated all these troublesome tasks to others, truly treating them as tools.
Even during rest, he privately shared crucial information with the one-eyed young man.
For instance, his suspicion that the family of four’s daughter and son were insect-humans, and how to identify them.
They needed to use an insect-human to find the nest, the purpose of the black mandarin oranges, and even the uses of the blue and red potions.
He told the one-eyed young man practically everything.
One could say the information and items the one-eyed young man now possessed exceeded that of ninety-nine percent of the Chosen Ones.
Many Transcendents didn’t even have half of what the one-eyed young man knew.
Why did Zhang Yangqing do this?
Naturally, he was grooming him as a surrogate clearer—a fact many viewers had already realized.
The busier the one-eyed young man was, the more relaxed Zhang Yangqing could be. This fit Zhang Yangqing’s consistent style perfectly.
Some NPCs were utterly clueless and beyond help; Zhang Yangqing wouldn’t bother with them, treating them merely as free labor.
But other NPCs were clever, just ignorant of the rules. Zhang Yangqing would then instill in them certain ways of thinking, using them to clear the level.
This was the meaning of a ‘partner’ in this context.
As for himself, he was naturally here in the strange tale world to enjoy himself.
The young man had one distinct advantage: whatever Zhang Yangqing said, he accepted, never asking why.
If Zhang Yangqing shared these matters with the lone wolf veteran or the nurses, they would incessantly question every detail, making explanations troublesome.
This was precisely why Zhang Yangqing confided only in him.
It wasn’t that the one-eyed young man had absolute trust in Zhang Yangqing; he simply knew Zhang Yangqing had no reason to deceive him.
Whatever else might be said about the one-eyed young man, he could follow instructions.
Once tasks were assigned, everyone went about their business.
As night fell, when the three nurses prepared to retire to their room, they invited Zhang Yangqing to join them, mentioning there were spare beds inside. Zhang Yangqing politely declined.
He needed to stay outside to maintain control and receive timely feedback from the one-eyed young man and the lone wolf veteran.
Tonight’s rain was crucial. Only by solving the well’s puzzle might they obtain the potion. There was no room for carelessness.
While the first-tier Chosen Ones began preparations to enter the city, the faster members of the second tier had also arrived at this final destination.
As expected, they were stopped outside the city gates and began searching for the temple according to the rules.
The third tier and beyond featured all sorts of bizarre Chosen Ones.
Some had successfully concocted the potion, indeed boosting their strength somewhat.
But the harsh reality taught them that even the thirty percent strength recovery was temporary, lasting only a while after consumption.
And thirty percent strength was still no match for the strange insects.
Some overconfident Transcendents consequently perished at the mandibles of these strange insects.
In summary, this side quest was indeed a waste of time.
Other Chosen Ones had learned special limited skills within the strange tale world—completing the tasks behind the differently colored doors in the rehabilitation center—and were now making moves in the Infinite Parking Lot.
Yes, they were just now reaching the Infinite Parking Lot stage.
Although they were making some progress, it was slow.
This part wasn’t actually that troublesome. Watching how the first-tier Chosen Ones operated showed it didn’t require overly complex maneuvers. As long as one deduced the hidden meaning of the rules or gathered useful intelligence to extrapolate the rules, passing was possible.
The more skills Chosen Ones accumulated, the more convoluted schemes they concocted, which greatly increased their chances of outsmarting themselves to death.
Some Chosen Ones had obtained the orderly’s uniform but lacked the doctor’s ‘authorization’. Stopped at the exit, they had to return to the rehabilitation center to assault the fake doctor, wasting considerable time.
This infuriated the leaders of their Transcendent factions.
Others are practically about to clear the whole thing, and you’re just leaving the tutorial area?!
It’s just solving a minor puzzle! Don’t look so happy about it; it makes you seem foolish!
Look at the first-tier people—clearing hurdles with cold, impassive faces. That’s style!
As absurd as things seemed, there was always something more absurd.
Andiyebu, the Transcendent from the Pyramid Country, was still in the rehabilitation center.
After several days of riots, the number of patients in the center had dwindled sharply to just seven.
The entire rehabilitation center now reeked of blood, which was splattered everywhere, and even the orderlies couldn’t be bothered to clean it up.
If not for Andiyebu’s considerable strength and the survival skills he’d learned, any ordinary Chosen One would have perished in the chaos long ago.
The cafeteria was visibly, starkly empty.
Andiyebu’s performance made the Pharaoh’s heir want to crawl into a sarcophagus and lie down.
However, to be fair, he was the Chosen One who had unlocked the most secrets within the rehabilitation center.
He basically knew every secret the center held that could be uncovered.
Today, Andiyebu received a specific piece of information.
Some orderlies were planning to use strange crows to eliminate all the remaining patients during the night.
With no patients left, the orderlies wouldn’t need to stay in this place any longer.
From this, Andiyebu roughly deduced that orderlies couldn’t directly harm patients unless the patients violated the orderlies’ rules.
For the orderlies to leave, the rehabilitation center must have no patients left.
Realizing this, Andiyebu felt quite pleased, as if he finally ‘understood’ how to play the strange tale world.
Tonight, he planned to unite the other surviving patients, devise a counter-strategy, and strive for final victory!
Watching this, the Pyramid Country’s expert panel was exasperated. Some even covered their eyes, unwilling to watch.
Rahman directly complained: “The strange tale world has practically spelled it out for you! Do you really have no intention of leaving?!”
Around nine o’clock in the strange tale world’s time, night had fully fallen.
Zhang Yangqing, who was resting, heard thunder rumbling and lightning flashing outside, followed by torrential rain pouring down.
