I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Hidden Clue in the Rules!

When Zhang Yangqing invited the two delivery guys to eat, viewers from Dragon Nation were puzzled.

There wasn’t much food to begin with—why share it with others? Wouldn’t that leave him with nothing?

Sure, the rules said “Try to fulfill the delivery men’s requests,” but did he really have to be this generous?

Had he discovered some hidden quest?
Or were these two delivery guys key to completing the mission?

Amid the speculation, Zhang Yangqing had already led the pair into the restaurant.

At first, the delivery men hesitated, but under his insistence, they finally stepped inside.

Zhang Yangqing had picked up on a crucial detail during their conversation:

They had traveled a long distance. They had to be hungry and thirsty.

So if he offered them food, they likely wouldn’t refuse.

And now, it seemed he was right.

Moonlight streamed through the windows, casting a dim glow over the restaurant.

Under the expectant gazes of the two men, Zhang Yangqing brought over two portions of steak—freshly heated, of course.

(Well, not the whole steaks. He had cut them into smaller pieces first.)

Meanwhile, other Chosen Ones were still racking their brains, trying to decide which steak to eat.

For them, it was a life-or-death gamble—one wrong choice, and it was over.

Most viewers still hadn’t realized that one of the steaks was tainted.

After all, certain clues were only visible to the Chosen Ones inside; the audience only saw a limited projection.

“Here we go, the steaks are ready!”

Zhang Yangqing smiled as he carried the plates over—looking every bit like a cafeteria worker serving poisoned soup.

(Which, in this case, might not be far from the truth.)

The two delivery men’s mouths watered at the aroma. They dug in ravenously, clearly starving.

After a few bites, Delivery Man A glanced at Zhang Yangqing. “Aren’t you eating?”

Zhang Yangqing shook his head. “I’m not hungry. I’m waiting for the results.”

“What results?”

THUD.

A loud noise echoed through the restaurant. Something had fallen.

When they turned, Delivery Man B was in a panic—his body undergoing a grotesque transformation.

His skin darkened unnaturally, his movements grew sluggish, and his eyes clouded over.

He staggered around, disoriented, as his consciousness slipped away.

Delivery Man A’s face twisted in realization. He slammed his utensils down and pointed at Zhang Yangqing.

“You poisoned us?!”

Zhang Yangqing shrugged. “No. I just didn’t know which steak was safe. So I let you two figure it out for me.”

The audience was stunned.

What just happened?

One moment, everything seemed fine—the next, the Chosen One and the delivery men were at odds.

Poison? But Zhang Yangqing had only cooked the steaks!

No one saw him tamper with anything.

And why had the other delivery man collapsed?

Right then, screens across other nations began flashing with death announcements—Chosen Ones who had eaten the meat were dropping like flies.

Their symptoms matched Delivery Man B’s exactly.

Finally, the viewers of Dragon Nation understood.

Their Chosen One had used the delivery men as test subjects.

For others, this was an impossible choice—a gamble with their lives.

Luck decided who lived and who died.

After all, the rules stated that the delivery men were “good people”—harmless, even offering helpful advice.

As normal humans, who would ever think of using them as lab rats?

Most had instinctively categorized them as allies.

A handful of Chosen Ones did consider the idea…

But fear of retaliation held them back.

Or maybe they just couldn’t bring themselves to do it.

Zhang Yangqing?

He was the only one who thought of it, acted on it, and executed it flawlessly.

His face was eerily calm—like a Yama King indifferent to mortal lives.

Even the viewers felt a chill.

If you don’t want to gamble with your life…
Then gamble with someone else’s.

That was the solution to this stage.

Because Zhang Yangqing had deciphered the hidden hint in the rules.

The answer was written plainly—if you knew how to look.

Sometimes, all it took was a shift in perspective.

First: What was the goal of entering this “Strange Tale” world?

Survival. Every Chosen One understood that.

But the critical second point was understanding your role.

That was the key to clearing the stage.

Zhang Yangqing’s identity was a security guard.

To pass, he had to play the part convincingly.

That was his interpretation.

So what made a qualified security guard?

One who carried out orders from above.

No one else had realized this.

They obsessed over dissecting the rules but ignored the bigger picture.

At first, Zhang Yangqing, like the others, assumed this was just a typical night-shift horror scenario.

But then he noticed something odd.

Some of the wax figures here wanted him dead.

Others feared him.

That made him reconsider his role.

Combined with the delivery men’s clues, he reached a conclusion:

The Chosen One wasn’t the hero.

They were the villain.

A bride in white isn’t always innocent.
A man in a security uniform isn’t always there to protect.

Once he saw it that way, everything made sense.

This Wax Museum was a front for something far darker—a place where real people were turned into exhibits.

By day, the wax figures couldn’t move. (The 8 AM shift-change rule hinted at this.)

By night, some gained mobility—and they desperately wanted to escape.

The museum owner hired “security guards” for one reason:

To keep the wax figures trapped inside.

The rules made that clear.

That explained why some wax figures attacked guards…

While others begged for mercy.

If you were willing to work the night shift in a place like this—you weren’t a good person.

Once Zhang Yangqing grasped his true identity, the rules became obvious.

“The delivery men are good people. Try to fulfill their requests.”
“There is food in the restaurant.”

The word “try” could be passive… or proactive.

Viewed this way, the rules were practically spelling out the solution.

They were hinting for Chosen Ones to use the delivery men to test the food.

Of course, how to do that was up to the individual.

Some might have offered the meat politely, then locked the delivery men outside to eat—avoiding a physical confrontation if they were too weak.

The surveillance room had cameras covering the street, right?

They could have watched the footage to see which steak was safe.

But Zhang Yangqing hadn’t even broken a sweat. Why bother with complicated tricks?

He was simply playing the ruthless security guard—and doing it well.

The lesson was simple:

If you don’t want to risk your life…
You’ll have to risk someone else’s.

There was no other way.