Chapter 303: No Wonder You’re Not Bothered, You’re Exploiting the Glitch Too!
Zhang Yangqing’s predicament made the audience realize that sometimes, having more people isn’t always better.
While the maid was showing him around, the little loli girl beside him kept chattering non-stop. She was asking the maid about the origins and structures of various decorations in the palace—things that gave Zhang Yangqing a massive headache.
The information you’re asking about is stuff I don’t even need to remember!
And she talked so frequently that Zhang Yangqing couldn’t even focus on memorizing the finer details. Her jagged little teeth chattered away like a machine gun, words spraying out nonstop.
Since he couldn’t exactly resort to brute force here, Zhang Yangqing had no choice but to let her take the lead and wander off with her own group. Meanwhile, he stayed behind with his guide dog and the elegant lady to tour the place.
The elegant lady had clearly been to the royal palace before.
Zhang Yangqing had a ton of questions he wanted to ask her. If it hadn’t been for that loli girl constantly interrupting, he would’ve made much more progress by now.
“Have you ever seen the king here?”
At that moment, Zhang Yangqing was sitting at a table in the garden, enjoying the palace’s afternoon tea. This had become one of his favorite pastimes in the Strange Tale World. Compared to the other Chosen Ones busily running around the exhibition hall, he looked incredibly laid-back—like he was here on vacation, really.
Sitting across from him was the stunningly beautiful—yet eerie—noblewoman.
Last night, the audience hadn’t been able to see her true face, only noting that her figure was absolutely amazing. But after seeing her today, many felt they’d have been better off not looking. No wonder she only appeared at night; during the day, she was genuinely unsettling.
Her figure was indeed impressive—curvaceous in all the right places, full and alluring. From a distance, she had a certain charm. But up close, her body was covered in bluish, cracked fissures. Her terrifying smoky makeup was the stuff of nightmares. Her eye sockets were so dark they seemed bottomless, and her lips were a deep, purplish black.
What really made people uncomfortable, though, was her curly hair. It swayed with every movement, like a nest of writhing little snakes. And whenever she spoke, faint wisps of black mist drifted from her mouth.
Last night, in the rain, none of this was visible. But now, under the clear light, every detail was on full display. Many viewers who’d been entertained by certain thoughts about her were now backing away in disgust.
Even through the screen, the audience could feel the danger radiating from this woman. Who knew—maybe she was chatting amiably with you one moment, and then eating you alive the next.
Still, there were a few bold viewers who joked, “Hey, a woman’s a woman—just turn off the lights.”
But they were quickly shut down by others who shot back, “When I meet a pretty girl, I never turn off the lights!”
——–
The palace was filled with men and women of all shapes and appearances. None of them were even on the other Chosen Ones’ radar, simply because they couldn’t see them. It was probably one of the few perks of being blind—saved them the trouble of noting down useless details.
They couldn’t see them, but Zhang Yangqing could.
Not that it fazed him much. He’d seen plenty of monsters in the Strange Tale World; this was nothing new.
Though Zhang Yangqing appeared to be sitting there casually, his guide dog had already left his side to roam around on its own. He was multitasking—chatting with the grotesque noblewoman while simultaneously using his [Mark] ability to share the dog’s field of vision. Through its eyes, he observed his surroundings. Even places other Chosen Ones couldn’t access were open for Zhang Yangqing’s dog to scout out.
In short, for this stage, he was essentially playing with cheats enabled.
Back in the garden, Zhang Yangqing was extracting key information from the noblewoman. Information that other Chosen Ones had to go through hell and high water just to catch wind of.
Among the crucial intel he gathered:
- [The nobles don’t like being told they stink.]
- [The Dread Knight absolutely despises sweets.]
- [The merchant loathes counterfeit goods.]
As for the Magician and the Lord, the noblewoman didn’t know much—she rarely interacted with those two.
Even though he’d started later than the others, Zhang Yangqing was still acquiring information at lightning speed.
Only he fully understood that this noblewoman was the true “powerhouse” of this stage. If any Chosen One managed to win her over, then, as long as they didn’t do anything stupid inside the palace, securing an S-rank rating or above was almost guaranteed.
Her aura was formidable—Zhang Yangqing had already sensed last night that she was even stronger than those two S-ranked demons. Instead of wasting time summoning demons, the Chosen Ones would’ve been better off just building rapport with her.
But fate had other plans. Someone like Zhang Yangqing, who didn’t lack combat power, was surrounded by powerful allies and helpers. Meanwhile, other Chosen Ones, desperately short on firepower, were stuck with weaklings and struggling at every turn.
The noblewoman gracefully sipped her afternoon tea. Hearing Zhang Yangqing’s question, she replied, “No one has ever seen the true face of the king. But he loves playing games.” She then shared something even the maid didn’t—or perhaps wouldn’t—tell the Chosen Ones.
“Oh? What does the king like?”
Zhang Yangqing’s interest was piqued. Could she really just tell me the answer outright?
“The king loves watching magic shows. Especially the thrilling ones—they excite him.”
Zhang Yangqing felt a bit deflated upon hearing this. That’s it? And here I thought you had something big.
Still, this was useful as a clue for identifying the king, so he filed it away.
For the other Chosen Ones, this info could be obtained by sucking up to the nobles.
At this point, many of them might feel a chill down their spines—they knew exactly what kind of magic shows they were talking about. Chainsaws splitting people apart, swords riddling bodies with holes, or using severed heads and corpses to play a gruesome game of bowling.
Although the Chosen Ones hadn’t witnessed the performances firsthand, they’d heard the demons describe them in vivid detail.
“Could it be that when the Magician shows up, I’ll be in danger?”
Ramirez had a bad feeling about this. No, he needed to find that red-cloaked guard fast, or things could go south.
That was the consensus for Ramirez and several other Chosen Ones. It wasn’t paranoia—he’d gathered a lot of intel from various people. One of them, a noble with an octopus head, had warned Ramirez that there was a dungeon beneath the palace. If he heard any horrifying screams during his stay, he should pretend not to hear, or else he’d be thrown in there too.
This matched the rules closely, so Ramirez figured he was probably safe as long as he followed them. The nobles had bad tempers, sure, but as long as you didn’t cross their boundaries, they wouldn’t attack a Chosen One out of the blue. That’s why Ramirez had felt comfortable approaching them after learning their taboos.
Still, as he continued mingling with others in the exhibition hall, the information kept circling back to one point: the king was violent and ruthless.
Unlike Ramirez, Zhang Yangqing hadn’t learned any etiquette for pleasing others at the villa. Instead, he was thinking of ways to make them please him. That was his strategy every time—since he couldn’t actively gather intel, he’d make the intel come to him.
Then, a bold and extreme idea popped into his mind—one that only he could pull off.
Just as he was about to put his plan into action, and as the other Chosen Ones were preparing to leave the hall, the third horn sounded. The third Lord had arrived.
Almost instinctively, the Chosen Ones wanted to “make contact” with these so-called Lords—after all, they were mentioned in the rules and might hold clues about the king.
[Rule 4: The Lord’s status is second only to the king. When a Lord appears, do not show him respect.]
Ramirez reasoned that the rule only said not to show respect—it didn’t say he couldn’t trust them. With that thought, he and the other Chosen Ones, guide dogs and demons in tow, hurried toward the main gate.
As soon as he reached the entrance, an overwhelming aura hit him like a wave. The Lord was surrounded by a large entourage of attendants. His gaze was cold, detached, like the Grim Reaper passing through. An intense murderous aura clung to him, making even the onlookers shudder. They feared that merely provoking him would bring swift and brutal punishment.
Feeling this, many Chosen Ones felt an involuntary sense of awe. But the rules demanded they show indifference, so they forced themselves to act nonchalant, echoing the dismissive remarks of the crowd around them.
However, since the Lord had entered through a different direction from the other guests, the Chosen Ones didn’t get the chance to approach him. The rule forbade showing respect, but it didn’t give them permission to cause trouble.
Zhang Yangqing, standing near the main gate, listened to the murmurs of the surrounding guests. He was beginning to piece things together.
While other Chosen Ones were still gathering clues, Zhang Yangqing was already formulating a plan to clear the stage.
The guests around him differed in status and allegiance. The nobles and the Lord were clearly at odds, so those badmouthing the Lord were nobles. By telling the Chosen Ones not to respect the Lord, Rule 4 was essentially warning them not to offend the nobles—which would violate Rule 5.
Others either stayed silent or echoed the nobles’ sentiments—and those were the merchants. This meant the merchants sided with the nobles. The rules were nudging the Chosen Ones toward joining the noble faction.
The Lords and the silent Magician faction, on the other hand, were likely aiming to kill the king. As for the neutral faction, that would be the Skeleton Knights, who weren’t present—they simply had no interest in such affairs.
Once you gathered enough intelligence, it was easy to figure out which side to take. Don’t ask how Zhang Yangqing knew—he could see it all.
The next step for the Chosen Ones was to carefully identify everyone’s allegiances. Those who could mark the dangerous individuals and lend a hand when the king was in peril might unlock hidden objectives. And those who couldn’t handle the hidden mission could try to find the king early, obtain a royal coin before the assassination, and cash out.
Zhang Yangqing’s approach was simpler—and much more brutal. He planned to antagonize all five factions by openly violating their taboos. The one who didn’t harbor any hatred toward him—that would be the king.
“If you’re not afraid to die, you can try it too,” he mused.
“So… which faction should I start with?”
Just as he was scoping out a target, he sensed a faint energy fluctuation from the exhibition hall on the fourth floor of the annex. It was tiny—only a powerful Chosen One could’ve detected it. There were no guards or maids there; it was a zone where combat was allowed.
Curious, Zhang Yangqing went up to investigate. The sudden disturbance also caught the audience’s attention—nothing similar was happening with the other Chosen Ones.
Had the Dragon Country’s celestial master triggered another event?
And sure enough, it was an event exclusive to Zhang Yangqing’s group.
Earlier, after parting ways with the loli girl, she had been wandering the palace with her team. When she reached the exhibition hall, her “professional habit” kicked in. She didn’t want to cause trouble at first—pointing out flaws in art in the palace wasn’t exactly wise. But she overheard some nobles discussing a “new continent” with a primitive but treasure-rich civilization. They planned to organize private armies to plunder it after the banquet, splitting the spoils among themselves.
Other Chosen Ones might’ve just flattered them, but the loli girl’s sense of justice flared. Backed by her two S-rank demons, she launched into a heated rebuke against the nobles’ banditry. She was impassioned, blunt, and utterly reckless.
The nobles, furious at being lectured by a lowly subject, were fuming. And naturally, a confrontation erupted.
The nobles’ attendants were methodical—they didn’t start a brawl outright. Instead, they had their servants clear the hall of bystanders and shut the doors. The other guests, unwilling to offend the nobles, left, casting pitying glances at the loli girl.
Once everything was set, the nobles’ men attacked the loli girl’s demon legion. A quick, clean fight—and as long as the bodies were disposed of swiftly, no one would know there’d been a battle.
The two S-rank demons exchanged glances, a smirk curling their lips.
Looks like we’re being underestimated, boys. You really think you can take us?
As S-rank demons, they had their pride. If they couldn’t handle these guys, what kind of S-rank were they?
But once the fight began, they quickly realized just how wrong they were.
These nobles commanded deep-sea behemoths—their servants were no pushovers either.
Within a minute, the arrogant S-rank demons were on the back foot. Four of the six A-rank demons were killed, and the remaining two were gravely injured. Even the loli girl was knocked to the ground, glaring up at the two high-and-mighty nobles.
They looked down at her, sneering.
“Little brat, grown-ups are talking. Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?”
“I’m curious which fool brought you in here. Too bad you won’t live to tell them.”
Just as they were about to finish her off, a voice cut through the air behind them.
“Oh? You looking for me?”
The sudden voice startled both nobles, making them leap back like startled grasshoppers.
The main door had somehow opened, and the guards stationed there—along with more than a dozen servants inside—had already been dealt with. Someone had pulled this off without any of them noticing.
The figure in front of them wasn’t even trying to hide his power—the aura alone made their hearts race. Only the truly strong could grasp how terrifying Zhang Yangqing was.
They weren’t even sure they could escape, let alone fight.
“Who are you? Do you know who we are?”
“This is the royal palace—don’t you dare do anything reckless!”
Once any creature faces an opponent they can’t beat, they start reasoning.
But Zhang Yangqing? The moment you start reasoning with him, he stops. He wasn’t interested in their pleas.
Ignoring their protests, he turned to the noblewoman holding a mirror and asked, “Are they the same as in the mirror?”
After receiving her confirmation, Zhang Yangqing flicked his fingers, sending a blade of golden energy through the air.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The two nobles were cleanly cut in half, as easily as slicing paper.
Just two small fry—Zhang Yangqing didn’t need to go all out, especially indoors.
The noblewoman gulped, her face a mix of shock and awe. This was the first time she’d ever seen such a powerful man. She’d been hesitant to offend the nobles earlier, but once she saw them cower, her courage swelled. Now, though, she realized she might not have been the big shot after all. He was the real deal.
No wonder he never bothered trying to win me over—he didn’t need to!
As for the loli girl and her demon legion? They didn’t look surprised. They’d seen what this guy was capable of. If it weren’t for the location, he could’ve done something way more spectacular.
And now that he was here, they felt an inexplicable sense of safety. Like they’d found a sturdy leg to cling to.
The S-rank demon who’d gotten smacked across the face four times by a guide dog finally understood: So this is what it feels like to ride someone’s coattails. Forget being a big shot—being a sidekick isn’t so bad either.
After the fight was over, the loli girl picked herself up and walked over to Zhang Yangqing. Head down, she mumbled, “Sorry… I caused you trouble.”
She looked like a little girl who’d messed up, facing her elder.
Zhang Yangqing just waved it off. “It’s fine. As long as it’s not the king, go ahead and offend whoever you want.”
Hearing that, a sly smile crept onto the loli girl’s face. She knew he’d say that. Delighted, she skipped over to the corpses in the hall and started summoning demons to replenish her losses—after all, she’d just lost four of them.
She summoned seventeen demons in one go, using the two nobles and all their attendants as sacrifices. Never mind the quality of the summons—she was burning through her lifespan like it meant nothing.
Zhang Yangqing couldn’t help but warn her, “Hey, don’t kill yourself with that. It’s not exactly cheap.”
He had enough workers as it was—he wasn’t really short on helpers.
But the loli girl felt warm inside. “Don’t worry,” she confessed. “My family contracted with a Deep-Sea Hydra—as long as it’s not killed, I have 15,000 years of lifespan.”
That deep-sea contract creature was useless in combat, but its lifespan was absurdly long. In exchange for certain sacrifices, it shared that longevity with its contractor. That was her family’s secret—and the hidden truth behind many powerful figures in this world. Even the noblewoman’s family had contracted formidable deep-sea beings.
Normally, she’d never share such a secret. But Zhang Yangqing had saved her life, so she came clean.
Hearing this, Zhang Yangqing finally understood why she was so cavalier about using up life force.
So you’re exploiting the system too, huh?
After a moment of thought, he spoke up casually: “Hey, if you’re not afraid of dying, how about this—I’ll kill everyone here, and you become the king.”
Everyone: “…”
Zhang Yangqing looked around at the stunned faces and simply shrugged.
I was planning to go through the motions, take it slow, and clear the stage the standard way. But with this kind of ability on my side… and since I already know the victory conditions… why not go all out?
You like disguising yourself, Mr. King? Fine. When you show up, let’s see who gives whom a surprise—you or me!
