Chapter 273: A Strange World, a Mysterious Villa!
Under Su Muyu’s urging, Zhang Yangqing opened his personal rewards.
[Congratulations on clearing the Horror Tale ‘Plague Town’]
[Standard Reward: All attributes increased by 10 points.]
[Special Reward 1: One Dragon Jade Tree.]
[Special Reward 2: A pair of ‘Gloves’ (item).]
Dragon Jade Tree: An ancient, precious tree, legend says it comes from an ancient dragon clan. It was once the treasured tree the Dragon God leaned against while sitting in enlightenment. Meditating under this tree can refresh your mind and increase your ability to understand all things in the world.
Gloves: Once worn, they will protect your hands from contamination and virus erosion, as long as they aren’t torn.
Zhang Yangqing examined the gloves. This kind of item should help him clear the Horror Tale world.
For example, some places might be contaminated, but the key to clearing the tale might be hidden right there.
With these gloves, he could retrieve those items without getting contaminated.
But there is a catch: these gloves aren’t an invincible item. If they get torn, they won’t be of much use.
If an item gets damaged, you might as well throw it away.
But since very few people can get items right now, everyone keeps them, just in case they can be repaired later.
After all, items from Blue Star can’t be taken into the tales. Having these items can slightly increase your survival rate.
As for the Dragon Jade Tree, Zhang Yangqing placed it in the backyard. The leaves of this tree are shaped like dragon scales. Layer upon layer of these scales overlap, shimmering with a brilliant light, as if a real dragon is coiling around the trunk.
When a gentle breeze blows, the leaves sway gracefully, like a dragon’s soul dancing – majestic and mysterious.
Just standing under the tree, Zhang Yangqing felt his tired mind constantly clearing up.
He didn’t need to worry about how to allocate time for using this tree; that wasn’t his responsibility.
The next day, the Horror Tale world arrived as scheduled.
But this time, the starting time was 8 PM.
The expert panels from each country would select the participants from those who signed up.
For the Dragon Country’s expert panel, Hu Liuqi and the others had a huge headache.
Because initially, way too many people signed up – a full 320 people, all of them strong fighters from various schools and sects.
And many people used their connections to ‘grease the wheels’.
Basically, they used every channel to pressure the expert panel into choosing them.
The six association presidents, in particular, also mobilized their own influence.
This left the panel members unsure of who to pick, especially since Zhang Yangqing hadn’t signed up yet.
In a place like Dragon Country, if the chosen person can’t command respect, wouldn’t that just upset everyone else?
Just as the panel was feeling indecisive, Zhang the Heavenly Master suddenly signed up without saying a word.
This relieved some pressure for the panel. After all, nobody else respects anyone else, but everyone knows this man truly has skill.
Regarding the resources of the cultivation world, they didn’t care much about them. What they wanted was to stop the tales from descending and return to a stable life.
That’s also the wish of ordinary people, and public opinion would support Zhang Yangqing’s participation.
But right then, some ‘rumors and gossip’ started spreading.
It began circulating in the Daoist sect chat groups, and then someone posted it on their朋友圈 (social media feed), and the news just spread.
It was the video of Zhang Yangqing displaying his divine power at Tianyong Mountain.
That’s how the internet works. Different people get the same video, but the captions underneath are all different.
Basically, it’s just a video at the start, and the specifics are all made up. The more sensational the claim, the more attention it grabs.
As it spread, it got ridiculous. Nobody knows who said it, but the rumor became: Heavenly Master Zhang heard that the six association presidents were trying to snatch spots to enter the Horror Tale world, so he went directly to teach them a lesson and even demolished the Tianyong Sect.
Whether true or not, the video of Zhang Yangqing dealing with the six association presidents had already spread.
Zhang Yangqing had indeed shown unparalleled strength; his skill is公认 (universally acknowledged) as number one in Dragon Country’s cultivation world.
Those extraordinary powers that had already signed up with the expert panel, terrified that Zhang Yangqing would come and demolish their homes, actually withdrew their names.
If even the six association presidents couldn’t stand against him, and didn’t dare punish him after being beaten, how would those smaller powers dare to get involved?
Ordinary people weren’t going to compete with Zhang Yangqing anyway. The big list that just had over three hundred names now only had Zhang Yangqing’s name on it.
He didn’t even need to talk to the expert panel; no one dared to compete with him.
It was the same in other countries. After rounds of bloody fights, suppressions, and negotiations, they finally selected their participants.
But early in the morning, the Horror Tale world seemed to throw a provocation at everyone on Blue Star.
[The Horror Tale world will open today at 8:00 PM sharp. Current difficulty: Six and a half stars. Participants from each country, please be ready.]
This looks like no hint at all, but it’s truly a warning to all extraordinary forces on Blue Star.
Consider this: the last Horror Tale, Plague Town, was also six and a half stars.
Theoretically, it should have upgraded to seven stars, but it’s still the same.
It’s as if the Horror Tale world is saying, “Your level is only six and a half stars.”
After all, only three participants obtained SSSS-level resources or above. One got them abnormally, one got them normally, and one still hasn’t woken up.
Too many extraordinary beings have died or been injured. The Horror Tale world might have judged that Blue Star’s people can’t handle this difficulty.
So it will continue to present Horror Tales of this difficulty.
The last time a Horror Tale world didn’t increase in stars was back when it first appeared.
Before the tales reached two stars, there were dozens of them.
Sometimes, only half a star increased after ten rounds. Ever since Zhang Yangqing started making things harder for the tales in return, the star ratings have been skyrocketing.
The participants this time were completely different. Many extraordinary powers that had participated before couldn’t suppress other forces within their own countries, so the participants were all different people.
Dragon Country’s Dragon Tiger Mountain secured a spot. The only one comparable to Dragon Tiger Mountain is the Holy See, a regular in the Horror Tale world.
With Grecco still unconscious, the Pope decided to send the Holy Knight Sidney, the one with the demonic back.
When he made this decision, no one dared oppose it, but many questioned Sidney’s ability.
Last time, Sidney cleared the tale, but his performance was just that bad.
It was an embarrassment to the Holy See. So other cardinals and holy knights volunteered.
Since Grecco had shared a lot of experience internally, they felt they had some understanding of the Horror Tale world.
Combined with the experience from the last tale, they thought that physical strength might not be the key; a smart mind is essential for clearing it.
However, the Pope had his own plan. He thought that since Sidney performed so poorly and still didn’t die, he must be blessed by the Lord.
In other words, he’s lucky.
And no matter how poorly he performed, he was still a genuine clearer of the tale, so he has some awareness of the hidden dangers.
So, for this Horror Tale, he was the best choice.
Since the Pope said so, the other clergy didn’t object much.
Sidney himself couldn’t believe it. Could it be that the tale would strip him of his physical abilities every single time?
As long as he had his muscles, he could still have confidence.
Most extraordinary forces on Blue Star this time selected former ‘cleared players’ to enter the Horror Tale world.
These cleared players had gained some abilities from the resources they received in a short time.
Though not yet at the extraordinary level, they were much stronger than ordinary people, already approaching the limits of human potential.
The most unexpected decision came from the Britannia Kingdom. They went against the grain and sent a powerful extraordinary being, a count with vampire bloodline.
He’s a noble of Britannia, also an elderly man. If he dies, it would cause a certain degree of shock within the kingdom.
By noon, the expert panels from each country had submitted their lists.
And at that time, Zhang Yangqing was getting ready to go back and sleep.
Su Muyu saw Zhang Yangqing leaving and asked where he was going.
“Knowing how this Horror Tale world works, if it opens at 8 o’clock, there’ll probably be activities at night. I’m going to sleep a bit and save my energy.”
Hearing Zhang Yangqing’s explanation, Su Muyu nodded, telling him not to oversleep. Get up around 7:30, move around a bit, and eat something.
Zhang Yangqing readily agreed.
Time quickly arrived at 8 PM. A screen of light appeared before the eyes of the chosen participants, seemingly indicating the danger level of the upcoming Horror Tale world.
[This Rule Horror Tale has begun. Each country will select one participant to enter the game world of the Rule Horror Tale.]
[If the selected participant dies, the Horror Tale will randomly descend upon one city in that country.]
[If that country fails ten times in a row, the Horror Tale will cover the entire nation.]
[The Horror Tale world is now opening. Current instance: ‘Mysterious Villa’!]
[Current Horror Tale Difficulty: Six and a half stars.]
[Within the Horror Tale world, you will play the role of a blind person. Please maintain a clear mind to find the rules in the instance and use them to survive.]
Seeing this, the participants were stunned!
Wait! What? Blind!?
Before they could react, a flash of white light appeared, and the participants arrived in the Horror Tale world.
The moment they appeared, they instantly lost their vision.
Everything before them was pitch black. Not the kind of black where you can’t see your hand in front of your face, but an immersion in endless darkness.
As completely blind people, unable to even perceive light, a sense of panic and fear filled the participants’ hearts.
Even if they had anticipated it, having their primary sense for survival suddenly stripped away caught them completely off guard. For a moment, they didn’t know what to do, and fear kept sprouting inside them.
At this moment, the participants could only feel their own accelerating heartbeats and breathing.
An oppressive atmosphere filled the space around them.
Most participants just stood there dumbfounded, unsure what to do.
Because before coming, everyone had a certain strategy in mind, based on experience.
That is: find the rules as soon as you enter. But now, being blind, how were they supposed to find the rules?
The participants didn’t even know where they were, if there was danger nearby, or what would happen if they walked into something they shouldn’t.
One wrong step, and they could die right at the start!
Thinking about this made the participants even more uneasy, their heartbeats quickening.
Forget exploring the area; many participants were too afraid to even take the first step.
The South Korean participant, Kim Jeong-ki, started hearing faint, strange noises around him, as if something was moving in the darkness.
He felt an elusive pressure, like something in the dark was staring at him. He stood frozen like a wax statue.
He desperately hoped those ‘eyes’ would look away, but he couldn’t tell if it was his imagination or real.
After panicking for a while, many participants began to calm down.
Just standing around wasn’t going to solve anything. So, they gathered their courage and slowly started feeling their surroundings.
Since they couldn’t see, they still had their sense of smell, hearing, touch, and so on.
The bedroom was filled with a damp, musty smell, along with a nauseating stench.
The Japanese participant, Sidney, felt his muscles. It gave him a small sense of security.
So, he started shouting, trying to get help, but his voice seemed to echo within a ‘small room’.
Recalling the hint he saw before going blind, the current instance was called ‘Mysterious Villa’.
From this, he inferred that he was probably in some room of the villa.
To get a better grasp of the situation, he started feeling his way around.
Sidney didn’t dare take big steps. In this unfamiliar place, to make sure his footing was safe, he kept his weight back and shuffled one foot on the floor.
Soon, his foot touched something hard. He reached down and felt it. It seemed to be a bed.
Sidney deduced that he was probably standing by the bedside in some bedroom.
After all, you normally wouldn’t find a bed in the living room or kitchen.
As he felt around on the bed, something felt off.
He touched a round, somewhat cold object. It had raised and indented parts, long hair on it, and some sticky fluid around it.
“Whoa, could it be that thing?”
Sidney swallowed, and put the round, hairy thing back down.
He was relatively calm. The South Korean participant, Kim Jeong-ki, however, after touching the same thing, jerked his arm back as if electrocuted, screamed, and even bumped into the wall behind him, making his head buzz.
He began to understand the horror of this bedroom. These things were creepy and sent shivers down his spine.
You can’t blame the participants for being cowardly. Seeing something and not seeing it are completely different situations.
If they could see, participants with decent courage would adapt quickly. After all, what haven’t they seen in the Horror Tale world?
But precisely because they can’t see, they can’t help but imagine terrifying scenes, terrified of ending up like the things they just touched.
The Japanese participant felt along the wall and found a switch, which made him a little happy.
But after he pressed it, the room might have lit up, but he was still blind and couldn’t see anything.
Those willing to feel their way around were basically the braver participants. They figured, so what if they’re blind? The Horror Tale world wouldn’t just let them die right away, right?
There must be clues, they had to find them.
Because if they calmed down, they could deduce that the waiting time the tale gives participants before the next ‘event’ is precisely for them to explore.
Only by finding key items and getting more information can they survive in this strange world.
You have to admit, this stage was really tough. Even just exploring was extremely slow for the participants.
After ten minutes of exploring, some participants found a cabinet, opened the drawers, and kept feeling inside for useful things.
Some found a doorknob but didn’t rush to go out.
Others were smarter; they took apart a solid wooden clothes hanger in the room, using the stick as a cane, tapping around them. This was much easier than using their hands.
And in a pinch, it could also be a weapon.
Just then, the crackle of a radio static filled the air, as if an old radio in the room was turning on, making many participants’ hearts jump.
After the static ended, a message played – something only the participants could hear.
They quickly calmed their emotions and listened carefully to the rules.
They couldn’t see now, they could only rely on hearing. If they didn’t listen carefully to the rules, they’d be no different from walking to their death in the tale.
Survival Rules for the Mysterious Villa:
[Rule 1: Always remember, among the living beings living here, besides you, only one is human.]
[Rule 2: A blind person doesn’t need a mirror, but you cannot be without a mirror.]
[Rule 3: Someone who likes roses will not hurt you, but only if you do not damage their roses.]
[Rule 4: When sleeping at night, please return to your own room. Only your own room is safe.]
[Rule 5: If someone asks you the color of the clothes they are wearing, please answer seriously. A wrong answer will be very dangerous.]
[Rule 6: While living here, if you hear shouting or knocking between 12 AM and 1 AM, please ignore it.]
[Rule 7: Find your other companion as soon as possible. They need you now!]
The rules repeated several times before stopping.
But even after hearing them multiple times, most participants were utterly confused.
Sidney, who had experience in the Horror Tale world, just stood in the room looking lost.
What kind of rules are these? This is just making things difficult.
Especially Rule 5. Clearly, that’s a condition for the rule to ‘activate’, or an attack condition.
But here’s the problem: I’m blind. How am I supposed to tell the color of someone else’s clothes?
Color is visual, not something you can smell, right?
Answer wrong, and you get attacked. What happens if you don’t answer? No one knows, because the rule says ‘please answer seriously’, not that you can’t answer.
But it’s clear: answering correctly might have benefits, but you absolutely must not answer wrongly.
In a six-and-a-half-star Horror Tale, as a blind person, if you’re attacked, it would be very hard to defend.
What if there’s an instant-kill item, or you inhale some poison gas, eat the wrong food, or get afflicted with a ‘virus’ or ‘contamination’? That would also mean death.
It’s safe to say that Sidney didn’t know how he was going to clear the tale, but he already knew dozens of ways he could die.
Just as the participants were about to continue analyzing the rules, footsteps came from outside the door.
In this unfamiliar, oppressive environment, those footsteps sounded like death warrants.
Suddenly, all the participants’ hearts were in their throats!
