Chapter 291: You’re Useless, but Your Opponent Is Even More Useless!
From the perspective of the supernaturals on Blue Star, what Campbell had killed was nothing more than a slightly stronger fierce ghost—nowhere near the level of a boss.
The reason this guy was talking it up so much was simply to pad his own resume. It might fool ordinary people, but in front of other supernaturals, it was really just average.
Still, no one felt like ripping into him, since he did have some tricks up his sleeve and had been making decent progress in the Tale World.
Inside the Tale World, when the raspy-voiced old man heard those words on his deathbed, he was absolutely dying to curse out eighteen generations of Campbell’s ancestors.
You old bastard, you’ve got no martial virtue—jumping a ninety-year-old veteran like me!
If you’ve got any guts, come at me when I’m at my peak! It’s just a sneak attack—what are you even bragging about?!
Campbell also became one of the few Chosen Ones to take down both the raspy-voiced old man and the fake villa master.
Now, with two fresh corpses in front of him, he could have summoned the Key Demon and called forth some demons. But Campbell chose to set the place on fire and leave instead. As he lit the flames, he walked straight out of the villa.
The audience thought it was such a waste—these were top-tier corpses. The stronger the corpse, the better the summon quality, right? This was prime time for some gacha luck—why not roll for more demons?
But if Campbell knew what they were thinking, he’d probably spit blood.
You’re just here for the entertainment—why don’t you come up here and try rolling yourselves!
I’m already old, I don’t even know how many years I’ve got left. The only reason I came to this Tale World is because I’m not afraid to die.
And you want me to burn what’s left of my lifespan on summons?
For most of the other Chosen Ones, the audiences couldn’t even see the battle scenes—just the sounds of fighting, which left people a bit disappointed. Even Campbell’s feed only showed the final sneak attack.
Naturally, the crowds flocked to wherever the action was.
The big screen in Dragon Country was packed with spectators from all over the world, all seemingly enjoying a grand battle of demons.
The S-rank demon servant summoned by the Loli Girl was already locked in combat with the fake villa master. The entire corridor had been reduced to rubble, with lime and debris scattered everywhere.
At the center of the battle, two incredibly powerful forces were colliding ceaselessly. Every impact sent out waves of energy.
At night, the S-rank demon fought with terrifying strength, but the fake villa master wasn’t a pushover either.
The fight had been going on for five minutes, and the S-rank demon was gaining the upper hand.
“What do we do? After all this fighting, he still doesn’t seem to have a clear advantage.”
The Loli Girl’s expression turned serious. The fact that her servant could even make the fake villa master struggle was already impressive—something she wouldn’t have dared imagine before. But the enemy wasn’t losing any time soon, either.
She considered whether to let Zhang Yangqing’s guide dog join the fight. Or maybe Zhang Yangqing could just wave his hand and settle it all?
“Your demon’s a bit useless, sure, but his opponent is even more useless.”
Zhang Yangqing’s explanation was brutally direct, and it stirred emotions in both combatants.
Only Zhang Yangqing could offend two powerhouses in a single sentence—and do it with zero intention of explaining himself.
In other words, he was calling them two trash birds pecking at each other, right to their faces. So what if they got mad? What were they going to do, come after him?
He was just enjoying the beautiful music of two crickets fighting—just keep at it, you two.
If any other Chosen One said that, the audience would’ve called it pure arrogance. But when Zhang Yangqing said it, no one objected. Because in his eyes, weren’t those two fierce ghosts just trash? He was just telling the truth.
As for why he didn’t act himself—wasn’t it obvious? Maybe he just couldn’t be bothered and was using her as a tool.
Why should he lift a finger for some low-tier riffraff?
If you’re really useless, I don’t mind getting rid of you both and playing by myself.
And this time, Zhang Yangqing had already decided he’d teach this innocent little girl what the harshness of the world really meant.
People like Gregori and Sidney were playing to clear the game. In harsher terms, they were here to risk their lives and get the job done. They were grinding for resources to help their factions grow—like the hope of their entire village.
Zhang Yangqing, on the other hand, was just here to slack off, experience a different identity, and enjoy the pleasures of a different world.
Wandering the mortal realm—that was all.
Slacking off feels good once; slacking off forever feels good forever.
That’s also why many Taoists, as they get older, like to travel the world and form connections wherever they go.
If it were purely about clearing the game, how would that be any different from working at Longhu Mountain?
Another five minutes passed. The S-rank demon remained overwhelmingly powerful and finally blew the fake villa master’s head clean off.
Now there was another corpse, and the Loli Girl was about to start summoning again. After all, she was young—she had plenty of lifespan to spare if she wanted to waste a bit.
Zhang Yangqing couldn’t care less. As long as she wasn’t using his life, she could go for a hundred consecutive summons for all he cared.
The audience figured her first pull was a “gold,” so there’s no way the second one would be too. After all, that Chosen One from the Iron Tower Kingdom, Little Black, only got a D-rank demon on his second pull—barely stronger than an ordinary person.
But to everyone’s astonishment, this Loli Girl seemed like fate’s favorite child. Her second demon summon was also “gold.”
The terrifying black energy emanating from the corpse left many people sighing in awe.
Slowly, the corpse’s skin began to transform, taking on a diamond-like luster. When the demon stood up, its majesty and terror surged once again, chilling the very air around it.
This unquestionably displayed its S-rank strength.
The newly summoned S-rank demon appeared to be hungry as well, and its gaze instinctively locked onto the guide dog—a plump, tasty-looking morsel.
The other S-rank demon noticed what it was thinking and panicked on the spot. Before the new demon could even speak, it quickly stepped in, looking terrified as it shook its head.
It was like it was saying: Bro, that dog really is a dog, but its owner is way too strong—we can’t afford to mess with him.
See these scratches on my face? Last time I got smacked, I didn’t even dare fight back, you know?
If you want a few slaps across the face, I’m not against it. But if that big shot unleashes his aura, I’ll have to kneel.
So just forget it. Keep your mouth shut—this one’s truly untouchable.
The Loli Girl, as the master, was also shaking her head frantically. The new S-rank demon paused for a moment—this place really is complicated—but it took the advice.
Seeing that the new demon wasn’t causing trouble, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Now it was time to get to work. Others set fires sneakily, but with Zhang Yangqing, things were simpler. S-rank demons? Just two tools.
After pouring oil, they took torches and set the villa ablaze from every corner.
Before long, the night’s silence was shattered. The grand villa was swallowed by raging flames, turning into a sea of fire. The blaze dyed the darkness bright as daylight, with scorching flames rolling through the night sky like a ferocious beast in a frenzy.
When the fire erupted, the surrounding fog inexplicably began to recede.
The roaring inferno woke many of the villa’s servants, who were already rushing to extinguish the flames.
Meanwhile, the Chosen Ones had finally escaped that eerie villa.
Ahead, there were no more obstacles.
All they had to do now was be careful not to trigger the pollution barriers set up by that despicable old master of the villa.
The guide dog had learned its lesson once, so this time it led the Chosen Ones along the proper path. Without a doubt, it was their guide to the next stage.
The moonlight of the deep night spread across the winding, muddy road, coating it in a layer of silvery sheen. On both sides, dense forests stretched like giant demonic palms reaching into endless darkness.
Every tree seemed to carry an eerie stillness, silently listening to the footsteps of the night.
Deep within the woods, shifting shadows flickered, as if hiding something dangerous. Sometimes they crept closer, sometimes they lurked in wait, making many Chosen Ones feel the breath of death drawing nearer.
The Chosen One from the Stick Nation, Kim Jeong-ki, felt his heart pounding wildly. He was terrified of sudden dangers. As a blind man, he was already uneasy. After finally getting used to the villa, fleeing from it now felt like jumping out of a wolf’s den straight into a tiger’s mouth.
Everything around him was alien. If not for the guide dog and the A-rank demon, he might have lost his sense of direction entirely.
This was the true horror of the Tale World: if a Chosen One lost their guide dog and their A-rank demon, they wouldn’t know which way to go or who to trust.
Kim Jeong-ki had a decent amount of nerve. He kept the A-rank demon behind him, constantly scanning the surroundings. The guide dog scouted ahead while he held the leash tightly, wrapping it around his wrist several times just to feel secure.
At that moment, he wished he could summon a dozen more demons to ensure his safety.
“When is this going to end?”
Kim Jeong-ki felt like the road stretched on forever. Had he taken a wrong turn? Or maybe he hadn’t solved all the villa’s puzzles? No—he had solved everything he could and killed everyone he could. Was he supposed to slaughter them all?
If that was the case, then this Tale World was simply not something ordinary Chosen Ones could handle.
The Chosen Ones had been walking for a while, and it gave them an unpleasant feeling. As blind people, they kept hearing faint rustling sounds from the grass—things brushing against it, making noise. And then, it felt like they were walking in circles.
Kim Jeong-ki asked the A-rank demon and the guide dog if the scenery kept repeating. But both denied it—everything they encountered seemed different.
That left Kim Jeong-ki baffled. Hadn’t they been walking for nearly forty or fifty minutes? Why wasn’t there any rest stop yet?
Some Chosen Ones even ordered their A-rank demons to mark the road as they went, to see if they’d encounter the same marks later.
But then, a sound sent chills down every Chosen One’s spine.
Dong! Dong!
The bell. The villa’s bell.
Many Chosen Ones jolted to attention. The villa’s maids had once told them—as long as you’re within the villa’s range, you can hear the bell.
That made their hearts race. Had they been walking for so long and still not left the villa’s grounds?
What about the rules? Without rules, how could they escape?
The rule-less Chosen Ones started panicking. After all, they were blind—even if there were signs on the road, they couldn’t see them.
Just then, a sound came from their bodies—the static of a radio powering on. Somehow, that old, broken radio had appeared in Kim Jeong-ki’s pocket.
Actually, he’d just been careless—the other Chosen Ones had theirs with them. If the Tale World hadn’t handed him the rules this time, he would have died for sure.
After the static subsided, a broadcast that only the Chosen Ones could hear came through.
Night Road Safety Rules:
[Rule 1: This road can only be traveled at night. If the sky turns white, do not walk on the road, or you will encounter trouble.]
[Rule 2: The end of the night road lies in the direction of the moon. Walk out as soon as possible.]
[Rule 3: If you’re tired or weary, you may rest on the roadside—provided it’s still night.]
[Rule 4: The night road is long. If you come across a house with its lights on, leave immediately. If the lights are off, ‘they’ won’t harm you.]
[Rule 5: If you hear strange sounds from the grass beside you, do not be afraid—’they’ might be able to help you.]
[Rule 6: If you encounter any group claiming to be fellow travelers, do not accept their request to travel together—but you may exchange a few words.]
[Rule 7: If you encounter a black carriage, you’re lucky—it can take you part of the way. If you encounter a white carriage, you’re unlucky—it can take your life.]
[Rule 8: Remember—on this road, do not accept anything for free!]
[Rule 9: If you hear thunder, find shelter quickly, because rain will follow, and it won’t stop.]
[Rule 10: Excessive hunger will immobilize you. Find a living animal as soon as possible—only their meat can relieve your hunger.]
The radio broadcast repeated over and over. The Chosen Ones stood still in place.
Because Rule 3 said that if they were tired, they could rest on the road. It was nighttime, and since the rules said so, thinking things through here shouldn’t be a problem.
Stubbornly marching forward definitely wasn’t the right approach. Memorizing and understanding the rules was the real key to clearing this stage.
Everyone here was either a veteran clearer or someone bold and meticulous—as long as there were rules, they could manage.
In the world of rule-based horror, they lived by the rules.
Still, some brave and overconfident ones kept walking while trying to process the rules. They figured the distance was fixed and time couldn’t be wasted. There’d be plenty of trouble ahead, so better to keep moving and save time.
After all, the rules called this the Night Road Safety Rules—daytime might not be so safe. If they couldn’t get out before dawn, they’d have to wait until nightfall.
It was around 2 AM, and dawn usually came around 6 AM, meaning the Chosen Ones had only four hours to leave this area.
Delays breed complications—better to reach the exit early.
But Sidney thought rushing was a bad idea too. He figured it should be judged based on a normal Chosen One’s “pace.” Whether this night road could be completed in a single day was still in question. But as long as they understood and followed the rules, he felt this stage shouldn’t be too difficult.
The real challenge was how to interpret them.
Take Rule 10, for example—that was a huge trap.
“Only the meat of a living animal can relieve hunger.”
With the definitions of “living” and “animal,” anyone would immediately think of the guide dog.
Did that mean to pass this stage, they’d have to sacrifice the guide dog?
Sidney felt something was off. If they sacrificed the guide dog here, what would they do next? This night road was just a small checkpoint—the rules never said finding the exit would end the round. Without the guide dog, weren’t they just waiting to die?
Some Chosen Ones would think: I already have an A-rank demon, why do I need a guide dog? Isn’t the demon stronger than the dog? Isn’t the guide dog meant to be sacrificed in this round?
But other Chosen Ones felt differently. The rules only said the guide dog was loyal and reliable—never that demons were trustworthy. Their identity was blind, and the guide dog was their companion.
Sacrificing the dog and keeping a demon around just felt wrong. They could control their demon, but that didn’t mean others couldn’t.
Sidney collected his thoughts. He decided that unless absolutely necessary—unless they were facing certain death—they must not sacrifice the guide dog. Because Gregori had said: keep whatever the rules mention close to you.
At this moment, some Chosen Ones seemed to be thinking of exploiting loopholes, wondering if they could go back to the villa to grab some food before coming out.
If Zhang Yangqing knew what they were thinking, he’d say: Still too inexperienced, aren’t you?
Once you step into this area, you have to follow the rules’ instructions. Even if you turn back, you won’t reach the villa. Rule 2 already said the road’s end lies in the direction of the moon. Taking the wrong path won’t just waste time—it could lead to death.
Zhang Yangqing’s comprehension was terrifyingly sharp.
Whether there were living animals nearby was another matter—they might encounter some along the way. But the rules had already hinted at where to find them; it was just a matter of whether the Chosen Ones would notice in time.
Without even encountering any plot events yet, Zhang Yangqing already knew what they’d be eating.
[Rule 7: If you encounter a black carriage, you’re lucky—it can take you part of the way. If you encounter a white carriage, you’re unlucky—it can take your life.]
Didn’t this rule clearly mention living animals? A carriage is pulled by horses, isn’t it? What a “living animal” is should be obvious.
And here’s a critical detail: the rule says only the black carriage is mostly safe, so the horse pulling the black carriage probably isn’t a problem.
As for the second half—the white carriage can take a Chosen One’s life—Zhang Yangqing guessed there were two interpretations.
One: the literal meaning—the white carriage might run over the Chosen One, or the “people” on it might get off and beat them to death.
Two: the horse pulling the white carriage might carry instant-death toxins—eating it would kill the Chosen Ones on the spot.
In the Tale World, the “luck” mentioned in the rules might not mean what other Chosen Ones thought. Zhang Yangqing inferred that it wasn’t about who had better luck, but about how to satisfy the condition for obtaining “luck.”
Since the rules said so, something must appear—and if the Chosen Ones obtained that thing, they’d receive a “luck” buff. Or perhaps completing certain tasks or receiving someone’s blessing could also grant a “luck” buff.
The specifics would only be known upon contact. And that might be the real key to “encountering” the black carriage.
If anyone thought this stage was purely about luck, they’d never meet the black carriage.
Other Chosen Ones lacked experience—they’d only have a chance to assess things when plot events triggered. But Zhang Yangqing could interpret these two rules using his experience and insight.
In that regard, he was already leagues ahead of the other Chosen Ones.
