I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 193
Chapter 193: The Village Chief Makes a Decision That Betrays His Ancestors!
The sudden noise made the nearby Chosen Ones jump.
Had they been discovered? That shouldn’t be the case.
Just as the Chosen Ones were panicking internally, the sound of an argument came from inside.
It seemed someone had gone in to oppose the plan to attack the Eternal Tribe.
According to this person, attacking the Eternal Tribe would only lead to the destruction of their own community.
But an even more displeased voice erupted from inside.
“If we don’t attack the Eternal Tribe, do you want to become a decoration in the house too?”
They had already ambushed many climbers and gained some power.
What was so fearsome about the Eternal Tribe? If they won, they would become the new Eternal Tribe!
Furthermore, this group of climbers seemed very strong; they absolutely had to be captured.
In the end, the discussion broke up unhappily. The Chosen Ones shivered in the cold for a while, their heads and bodies covered in snow.
But it was all worth it to obtain information.
After the people inside left, the Chosen Ones knew their opportunity had arrived.
The elderly village chief should still be inside now.
So, with anxious hearts, the Chosen Ones entered the temple.
The village chief was slightly surprised to see someone enter, but he indeed showed no intention of attacking the Chosen One.
The Chosen One observed him and felt something was a bit off.
The chief was hunched over, wearing a cloak-like robe. His face wasn’t clear, but the wrinkled skin on his hands was visible. His silhouette somewhat resembled the statue of the so-called ‘Reaping God’.
At this moment, a bold guess formed in the Chosen Ones’ minds.
Could this guy be something like a ‘spokesperson’ for this deity statue?
It was already past 1 AM; time was tight.
If they didn’t return by 2 AM sharp, something bad might happen.
Because only the correct room could guarantee the Chosen Ones’ safety.
So the Chosen Ones didn’t hesitate. They politely bowed to the chief, showing respect.
After all, that’s what they did when they first arrived.
The village chief nodded and began asking the Chosen One why they had come, or if they needed any help.
His tone seemed devoid of any emotion, like an unfeeling ‘god’.
Many Chosen Ones, still in a phase of thinking themselves clever, foolishly asked questions and received ‘confusing’ answers from the chief.
They thought that since the rules said the chief could be trusted but wouldn’t tell the truth, then the chief must be lying.
So, they could just reason backwards from his lies to get the truth.
But some Chosen Ones tried inverting his statements and found that didn’t make sense either.
This left many at a loss, unsure what to do.
Figuring out how to get useful information from the chief became their main challenge.
They couldn’t just put a knife to his throat and force him to tell the truth, could they?
Other Chosen Ones might have considered it, but whether they could actually do it was a big question.
The American Chosen One, Miller, was smarter. He knew how to exploit a loophole in this rule.
The chief couldn’t tell the truth, probably due to some restriction.
But he could answer questions by nodding or shaking his head.
Miller just needed to ask about the information he wanted and interpret the chief’s nods and shakes.
After all, nodding or shaking wasn’t considered speaking lies, or even speaking at all. Problem solved!
Many Chosen Ones asked questions about the so-called Frostfruit, the Eternal Tribe, and this village.
If we’re talking about the smarter chosen one in this challenge, it would be Rahman, the chosen one from the Egypt Kingdom.
After asking a few casual questions, he prepared to ask the chief for a favor.
The chief also nodded, indicating: Go ahead.
Then Rahman requested the chief to summon both the male and female hosts from his lodging house, to delay them for a while, as he needed to search the house for something.
This time the chief nodded again, but his wrinkled hand reached out towards Rahman.
Rahman understood – when asking for a favor, you have to offer something.
The other villagers had made offerings here; how could he ask someone to do something for him without giving anything?
So, Rahman took out the food he carried with him.
Seeing his food, the chief seemed eager to take it immediately.
But Rahman refused because his mind was clear, remembering a climbing rule.
[Rule 5: In this place, food is precious. If someone asks you for it, never give it to them directly.]
If he gave the food directly to the chief now, and the chief’s identity was mysterious, it might trigger a special death event.
After all, the rules were absolute; they were the basis for the Chosen Ones’ survival.
In this bizarre world, the slightest misstep could mean instant death.
He would give it to the chief, but not directly.
This was easy to explain.
Rahman stepped back, placed the food on the offering table, and let the chief take it himself.
Couldn’t that be interpreted as not giving it directly to the chief?
And the chief still got the food.
Hidden under the cloak, Rahman couldn’t see the chief’s expression.
But after the chief took the food from the offering table, he didn’t even remove the wrapper, swallowing it whole in one gulp.
The sound of swallowing followed; no chewing necessary.
It seemed the chief was even more beast-like than a beast.
Rahman wondered if other Chosen Ones who gave food directly might get eaten alive by the chief.
But he himself was in the bizarre world and couldn’t know the situation of other Chosen Ones. He just needed to avoid mistakes.
After eating, the chief went out as per Rahman’s request.
At that moment, Rahman hid in a dark corner.
A ‘knock, knock, knock’ sound echoed. Soon, someone opened the door of the house where Rahman was staying.
After the fierce-looking host talked with the chief for a bit, he went to call his wife to go worship at the temple together.
Only after seeing them enter the temple did Rahman climb up to the second floor using the rope behind the house and begin searching for specific information inside.
In other words, Rahman’s brilliant move perfectly neutralized all the dangers in the house.
His understanding of the rules this round had reached a very thorough level.
If one wanted to survive and obtain information, his approach was the safest.
With any less preparation, if a Chosen One acted rashly, they would likely be instantly killed by the female host lurking at home.
After all, if she wasn’t visible, she was probably hiding in the shadows, waiting for the Chosen One to make a mistake.
Rahman’s performance amazed all the viewers; he was truly outstanding this round.
In front of Egypt’s large screen, there was basically nothing but praise for him.
“Rahman’s condition is just too good; the cold weather actually seems to clear his mind.”
“Other Chosen Ones are still trying to wheedle information out of the chief, it’s hilarious. Didn’t the rules clearly state the chief won’t tell the truth? What’s the point of asking so many questions?”
“Look, the Japanese Chosen One has been driven crazy by the chief. The chief shakes his head, then nods, then shakes his head and nods again, hahahaha.”
“That’s his own fault for asking those questions; even the chief probably didn’t know how to answer.”
“Go Professor Rahman! There’s hope for an SSS rating this time!”
The Egyptian audience was relatively rational. For a normal Chosen One, SSS was already considered very good.
As for SSSSS, those were terrifying scores only achieved by some abnormal Chosen Ones.
And that abnormal Chosen One they referred to had already begun his abnormal approach.
After other Chosen Ones got the information, they had to wait outside, enduring the cold, for the people inside to finish worshipping.
That meant waiting until 1 AM.
From 12:30 to 1:00, they had to brave the blizzard and endure half an hour of bitter cold.
Because they were afraid of being discovered, which basically meant death.
These were all fierce beasts with special abilities, after all.
They had eaten many climbers.
Zhang Yangqing didn’t need to wait half an hour. Once he had the information, he directly opened the door and walked in.
Before the villagers could even react.
His long sword flashed, the firelight flickered.
The crisp sound of a blade severing necks echoed, and five heads rolled onto the temple floor.
Under the firelight, the spurting blood was particularly dazzling, even reflecting Zhang Yangqing’s silhouette.
This move of his made many sword masters watching the large screen feel ashamed of their own inferiority.
Just from the smooth, effortless way the blade cut through flesh, they could tell the Dragon Country Celestial Master’s swordsmanship was profound.
It was a level many couldn’t reach even after decades of diligent practice.
Although some stubborn ones claimed they had reached it.
As long as the Dragon Country Celestial Master wasn’t standing right in front of them, these stubborn folks dared to claim they were on his level.
But even when boasting, they didn’t dare say they were stronger than the Dragon Country Celestial Master.
If they boasted too much, and it actually reached the Celestial Master’s ears, and he, hearing someone was more skilled, came to challenge them, that would be a huge joke.
They’d probably get slapped even if they knelt and begged.
So, a little boasting was fine; the Dragon Country Celestial Master probably didn’t have time to bother with small fries like them.
At this stage, not just within Dragon Country, but even in the international superhuman community, the Dragon Country Celestial Master was the benchmark.
Who made him the most famous and universally acknowledged top expert?
Any superhuman who could associate themselves with the Dragon Country Celestial Master naturally had their prestige boosted.
Who wouldn’t mention the Dragon Country Celestial Master when boasting, just to feel their own status?
Some superhumans even went to Dragon Tiger Mountain, and without even seeing Zhang Yangqing, dared to claim they were on good terms with him, that they were practically brothers.
All just to show off.
Zhang Yangqing would never dream that he had many, many good brothers abroad whom he had never even met.
Back in the bizarre world, after killing the villagers, Zhang Yangqing casually rested his long sword near the village chief’s neck.
He didn’t care if the chief was a representative of the god, or the god’s incarnation.
If it was alive, he’d kill a god for you to see.
In the current stage of the bizarre world, some superhumans might already be struggling, not daring to act recklessly.
But in Zhang Yangqing’s view, it was still just the same.
He acted recklessly from the start, proving he wasn’t afraid at all.
What happened next stunned countless viewers.
Rule 4 stated that the village chief would not tell the truth.
Many Chosen Ones used nods, writing, or similar methods to communicate with the chief.
Zhang Yangqing didn’t have time to waste on that. The chill from his long sword was intense.
A terrifying murderous intent spread; he wanted the chief to know clearly.
If his answers were the slightest bit unsatisfactory, the consequence would be death.
Then Zhang Yangqing began asking the questions he wanted answers to.
The village chief made a decision that betrayed his ancestors.
The viewers were astonished to find that the chief was actually telling the truth?
Many viewers even cursed, calling the chief spineless for breaking the rules just to stay alive!
If the chief knew they despised him, he would surely curse back, telling them to try it themselves.
At that moment, the sword was only 0.01 millimeters from his neck.
If he violated the rule, he might die from the rule’s backlash.
If he didn’t tell the truth, there was no ‘might’ – he would die right now.
So the chief’s move wasn’t cowardice; it was choosing to follow his heart.
Heeding the instructions from within his heart, Zhang Yangqing asked, and he answered. How convenient.
Zhang Yangqing liked sensible people like this; it saved him a lot of trouble.
Those familiar with Zhang Yangqing knew he had a bit of a temper.
He could choose not to do bonus tasks, but he would definitely kill anyone who displeased him.
Zhang Yangqing was not a man who would bow and scrape just for bonus tasks.
After finishing his questions, Zhang Yangqing sheathed his sword and left.
Other Chosen Ones needed the chief’s help, but he did not.
The chief watched the retreating figure, terrified out of his wits.
He thought: What kind of terrifying person did they let in? I’d better run away quickly!
Faced with such a powerful individual, the chief didn’t even have the thought of resisting.
Next, the viewers were amazed by Zhang Yangqing’s night vision ability.
Returning to the house, without any firelight, the large screen was pitch black.
While other Chosen Ones used the faint glow of their white cards to see their way, Zhang Yangqing strode forward confidently.
The viewers couldn’t see anything, only Zhang Yangqing’s dark silhouette.
At that moment, Zhang Yangqing was on the third floor of the house, searching for the female host.
When he opened the third door, he sensed a living presence.
“Hubby, isn’t it still not time for the attack? Let me sleep a bit more.”
A soft, coquettish voice sounded, as if whining.
A beautiful woman lay on the bed in the master bedroom, half-asleep.
She seemed to have heard the door open and, thinking it was the square-faced man returning, instinctively spoke.
“I’m not your husband.”
Zhang Yangqing’s words jolted her awake. She sprang up from the bed, looking warily at Zhang Yangqing, and asked, “Where’s my husband?”
Having just gotten out of bed, her hair was messy, her cheeks flushed, and her full figure was visible.
If other viewers saw this, they would probably get excited.
But they were watching a Chosen One who showed no emotion.
“I can send you to see him.”
While the viewers saw only darkness, the sound of a blade cutting through flesh came from the room.
Then came the sound of something rolling.
Frequent viewers of Zhang Yangqing’s screen could mentally picture the scene of a head being severed.
The female host in the room probably died with grievances.
It wasn’t even time for her to attack the climbers, and the climber came to attack her first?
Zhang Yangqing specialized in not following the script.
In such situations, he wasn’t a passive person; he preferred to take the initiative.
There was one more thing to do: find the room from which the cries for help were coming.
Zhang Yangqing had already walked through the first and second floors, opening all the doors and checking inside, but there seemed to be no cries for help.
Just as he thought maybe it wasn’t time yet, near a room in the corner of the third floor, he heard faint cries for help.
“Help! Someone save me! It’s dangerous here! Run! No, save me and take me with you!”
Hearing this cry, Zhang Yangqing was speechless, wondering what was inside.
When he opened the door, the cries instantly stopped, as the thing inside couldn’t tell if the person opening the door was here to save it or kill it.
A golden light filled the room, illuminating it.
Zhang Yangqing saw a book locked in an iron cage.
This book was like a magic book; it could walk and talk.
The cries for help earlier must have come from it.
Seeing Zhang Yangqing’s unfamiliar face in climbing gear, it was overjoyed.
At first glance, it judged that Zhang Yangqing wasn’t from here, so it should be saved.
“Come in quickly, close the door, don’t let those two hear, they’ll eat you,” the magic book said urgently, seeming very afraid of the hosts here.
“Afraid of what? I’ve already killed them. Say what you need to say, I’m tired and ready to go back to sleep.”
Zhang Yangqing’s words shocked the magic book.
Damn, this guy is that fierce?
It seemed it had latched onto a powerful ally today.
So, the magic book began explaining its identity, how it came here, and its abilities and uses.
The magic book’s previous owner also came to this village seeking the Frostfruit, planning to climb the mountain from this route, but was killed by the people here. The magic book was then detained in this dark, gloomy place.
If Zhang Yangqing could rescue it, it could teach him how to use magic.
In this segment, the magic book was a props to enhance the Chosen One’s strength.
But in Zhang Yangqing’s eyes, wasn’t this thing useless?
Did he need to learn magic?
Seeing Zhang Yangqing’s lack of interest, it panicked.
“Big brother, take me with you! I don’t need to sleep, and I can see through mazes and magic. You’ll definitely find me useful when climbing the mountain!”
To get Zhang Yangqing to take it away, it spilled everything it was supposed to say.
Normally, the Chosen One would have to curry favor with it for it to reveal this information, as it needed to hold something back.
But this Chosen One wasn’t following the script, leaving it no room for negotiation.
The magic book was even a bit confused. At this stage, shouldn’t the Chosen Ones be kneeling, begging it, the powerful magic book, to come out of seclusion? Why did this guy not care at all? Did it get the wrong script?
However, its words did catch Zhang Yangqing’s attention.
“Fine, I’ll take you with me. But you can’t speak unless I summon you, understand?”
“Understood, big brother!”
Just as the magic book was about to tell Zhang Yangqing where the key to the iron cage was,
Zhang Yangqing simply swung his sword, and the iron cage was instantly cut open.
The blade was dangerously close to the magic book, which felt that if it had been any closer, it might have been taken out by this Big Boss with one strike.
“Did you want to say something earlier?” Zhang Yangqing asked, seeing it with its pages open as if about to speak.
“I just wanted to say, big brother, you’re awesome!”
The magic book thought, since you can cut through the iron cage, what else is there to say?
This is a special cage, and you, Big Boss truly ignore the rules.
After putting the magic book into his backpack, Zhang Yangqing went to the guest room he had chosen – the one other Chosen Ones considered very dangerous.
The so-called danger was just the two hosts.
In this room, without anything the hosts feared, they could directly attack the Chosen One.
But since the hosts were already dead, this room was instead the safest and most comfortable.
While other Chosen Ones were struggling wits and courage against the hosts and the bizarre, even shivering outside in the cold, Zhang Yangqing was already sleeping comfortably.
Because he had eliminated the danger before it even appeared.
This perfectly matched Zhang Yangqing’s style and approach.
Disaster is always one step behind me.
In that case, I am the disaster!
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