I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 206

Chapter 206: Bro, He’s Messing With Us!

“Captain, where are we now?”

Purple-Eyes Girl held the map, following the team.

Because they had walked a long time inside the sanatorium’s basement, the mountaineering team wasn’t sure of their current location.

“I think I’m starting to figure it out. Let’s walk a bit further.”

Goatee Captain was a rather meticulous person. He didn’t have a locator, so he couldn’t pinpoint their position accurately.

But he could determine their location on the map by comparing distinctive features in the surroundings.

Since the area was all high mountains, with thick accumulated snow at their bases—some piles as high as two or three stories—they had to be careful not to trigger an avalanche, making it impossible to proceed straight ahead.

So, the mountaineering team could only follow Goatee Captain on a detour.

Zhang Yangqing didn’t say anything, proceeding normally through the process. After all, this was pretty much the extent of these teammates’ usefulness.

Walking on the snow, every step seemed to produce a crunching sound.

All the surrounding scenery was blanketed in white. Because of the polar night, visibility remained low even during the day.

Zhang Yangqing exhaled a puff of mist. He didn’t know what other Chosen Ones thought, but he felt this place was quite suitable for cultivation.

At least in this quiet and peaceful environment, a cultivator could gain more insights.

Besides, the scenery here wasn’t bad. If conditions allowed, Zhang Yangqing would have liked to create a snowy landscape in the back mountains of Dragon-Tiger Mountain.

If other Chosen Ones knew what he was thinking, they’d surely think he was crazy.

We’re not even sure if we can survive leaving this place, and you think the scenery is nice?

Without a blizzard, the mountaineering team moved quite fast.

By noon, they found a dilapidated temple with a ruined statue inside.

Since there was a building, they could light a fire here, and the mountaineering team could rest briefly.

Upon entering, seeing a pile of burnt plant ash behind the statue, Pompadour Man began to complain, “Which inconsiderate jerk dismantled the doors and windows for firewood? How are later mountaineers supposed to rest? No sense of public morality!”

Everyone: “…”

Hearing his words, the teammates were momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Even Zhang Yangqing felt a bit speechless at his remark.

Weren’t you the one who dismantled the first temple we came across, kid? If someone else said this, fine, but how do you have the nerve to shout it out so righteously?

So, just because you didn’t get to dismantle it here, you curse others, huh?

Based on everyone’s understanding of him, if there were still doors and windows here, he would have definitely dismantled them for firewood.

Goatee Captain went forward to examine the pile of plant ash, picked some up to smell, then went to inspect the gaps where the doors and windows used to be.

“It seems someone was here yesterday. Judging by the traces, they probably left just this morning.”

No one doubted Goatee Captain’s professionalism. He was the man who could determine a wolf pack’s presence based on the freshness of droppings. This minor issue was naturally within his capabilities.

“Are there other mountaineering teams besides us?”

Pompadour Man, who was about to take out ingredients to cook, asked in confusion.

“Of course. It’s the season when the Ice Crystal Fruits are about to ripen. Those who want them aren’t just us; many others do too. But don’t worry, I know a shortcut; we’ll definitely find them before the others.”

Although Goatee Captain said this, everyone remained somewhat cautious.

After all, such a treasure would inevitably lead to snatch. The competition would surely be fierce, possibly even bloody.

Even if their security guard teammate was strong, he might not always be able to protect everyone, right?

So, being careful themselves was definitely correct.

Of course, they weren’t too afraid of facing other mountaineering teams, as they themselves had unique skills. What they needed to be most careful about was whether this security guard teammate might accidentally injure them during a fight.

Because they felt that if Zhang Yangqing’s attack went astray, none of them would survive.

Inside the dilapidated temple, the doors and windows were mostly dismantled. The firewood Gold-Rimmed Glasses Man brought had been largely used up last night in the sanatorium’s basement.

So, the primary goal now was to find combustibles nearby, preferably gathering more to prepare, lest they encounter troublesome situations again tonight. Without a heat source for warmth, they might not survive the night.

In a mountaineering team, firewood and a heat source were absolutely essential.

In other Chosen Ones’ teams, division of labor was clear. Some Chosen Ones helped search for combustibles, needing to guard against sudden dangers along the way.

The beasts surviving in this frozen wilderness were all exceptionally powerful.

Everyone seemed to have naturally developed a habit of carefully observing their surroundings.

In Zhang Yangqing’s team, the division of labor was also clear. He handled dangers; these minor tasks were naturally for the teammates.

After all, even if he wanted to help, his teammates would feel embarrassed to let him do it.

That would make these teammates seem utterly useless.

So, Zhang Yangqing simply rested there, being attended to by everyone like a deity.

According to Goatee Captain, praying to Zhang Yangqing was more practical for the mountaineering team than praying to the statue.

Whether the statue would protect you was uncertain, but Zhang Yangqing solving your troubles was obvious.

Zhang Yangqing was now so powerful that even the natives of the Strange Tales world understood: praying to gods was less reliable than praying to him.

After the mountaineering team rested for a while—about two hours—they extinguished the fire and continued.

Other mountaineering teams basically dared to rest only for a little over an hour. The captain of Zhang Yangqing’s team felt that with this big shot around, resting a bit longer seemed fine.

Although it was just a segment on the map, every step was arduous.

Most Chosen Ones’ teams progressed steadily, but some teams encountered situations.

The Chosen One from Pyramid Country, Rahman, seemed to be drawing his teammates’ attention.

First, Pompadour Man asked him, “Huh? Why are your clothes a bit torn? Did something happen last night?”

This indeed attracted sidelong glances from several teammates.

It was darker in the basement, so no one paid much attention. Now outside, they could see a bit more.

Rahman had prepared an explanation: “Oh, maybe I fell when we were in the underground pipes earlier.”

To avoid detection about going out last night, he deliberately took a fall on the way out. This was plausible, and everyone just told him to be more careful.

The reward from the sanatorium was two medicine canisters containing some capsules each.

Chosen Ones who obtained these last night had carefully checked the instructions. One canister contained a potent poison; the other contained an antidote.

This was the item the Strange Tales world gave Chosen Ones to potentially kill the strange creature within their team.

After all, given the abilities of most Chosen Ones, even if they knew who the strange creature was, they had limited means and could only seek help from so-called teammates. But convincing teammates was difficult, so this item was crucial.

Used well, it could kill the strange creature; used poorly, it could kill themselves.

When and where to administer the poison depended on the Chosen Ones’ skills.

Many Chosen Ones had guessed that since the Strange Tales world gave them a magic book and poison,

it might hint that the strange creature in the team would soon act? Should they strike first?

But the question remained: Who was the traitor, and what was their goal?

All this was unknown. The only Chosen One who could have discovered the traitor was Rahman, who missed his chance yesterday due to being startled.

Different from other Chosen Ones, Rahman did know there was a strange creature in the team, but he just didn’t know its purpose.

As he walked and pondered, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Captain, what’s going on? I feel like it’s getting colder the further we go?”

Purple-Eyes Girl was the type to ask questions directly. As a magician, her physical endurance was naturally inferior to the others.

After crossing a small slope, the temperature here dropped lower and lower, making progress difficult.

“That’s normal. Because the Ice Crystal Fruit is about to ripen, the cold air it releases begins to spread across this frozen wilderness, continuous and unending.”

This statement surprised those present. Was the Ice Crystal Fruit’s power so immense that it could cause a sharp temperature drop across a large area?

Facing teammates’ questions, Goatee Captain diligently answered them.

Seeing his professionalism, most Chosen Ones didn’t think he could be the strange creature.

Because in this unknown environment, it would be too easy for him to kill everyone.

“What should we do? We can’t light a fire outside to ward off the cold. If we can’t find a building, we might freeze to death here.”

Purple-Eyes Girl voiced her concern, which was also other Chosen Ones’ concern.

The next destination still seemed far away. With the temperature so low now, everyone might not make it there.

At this moment, Goatee Captain smiled confidently and said, “Heh, you just don’t understand. The Ice Crystal Fruit is a sacred object. Obtaining it isn’t that easy. If we don’t acquire some cold-resistant items, we can’t get close to it…”

Goatee Captain began explaining that the colder the place, the more cold-resistant plants would grow.

According to the map’s area, the mountaineering team was currently in the eastern part of the Eternal Winter Land.

There was an ice sheet here, a millennia-old frozen lake, extremely cold.

Reportedly, a special lotus called the Frostbone Ice Lotus grew in the ice sheet crevices.

These Frostbone Ice Lotuses were scarce and exceedingly rare.

Finding a few Frostbone Ice Lotuses in one ice sheet crevice area was already good.

Consuming the petals of the Frostbone Ice Lotus could provide cold resistance.

Additionally, Goatee Captain listed other items that could also ward off cold after consumption.

These were also special products unique to this area, not just the Frostbone Ice Lotus, but also creatures like the Polar Snow Weasel.

However, those Polar Snow Weasels seemed even harder to find, and their whereabouts were unknown.

So, to obtain the Ice Crystal Fruit, it was best to get the Frostbone Ice Lotus.

After hearing Goatee Captain’s words, everyone seemed to admire his expertise.

Purple-Eyes Girl praised, “As expected of the Captain. You must have led teams to obtain Ice Crystal Fruits many times before, right?”

Goatee Captain shook his head and said, “No, actually, this is my first time searching for it. The Sacred Ice Crystal Tree bears fruit only once every thirty years.”

Goatee Captain indicated that thirty years ago, how old was he? He didn’t have the capability to search for Ice Crystal Fruit back then.

He was just familiar with the surrounding areas from activities here.

And this knowledge was simply passed down through generations.

According to him, the further in they went, the more everyone needed to be careful because the fruit was limited, but many people wanted it.

Many mountaineering teams that reached the summit would fight over the fruit, so he told everyone to be prepared for combat.

Along the way, he urged everyone to cooperate actively, familiarize themselves with each other’s abilities, so they could assist each other later.

But here, everyone considered a question: What if there weren’t five Ice Crystal Fruits? Then someone in the team would have come all this way for nothing.

But who would want to come for nothing?

However, no one voiced this; they’d deal with it later.

Maybe the Sacred Ice Crystal Tree had over ten fruits; that wasn’t certain either.

After crossing the small slope, Zhang Yangqing’s mountaineering team arrived at an ice surface.

There was no thick snow here, just a layer of ice that appeared solid.

Walking on it, they feared stepping on thinner spots and falling into the frozen lake.

Considering the current temperature, getting wet without promptly lighting a fire for warmth could easily lead to frostbite.

To find the Frostbone Ice Lotus, they needed to search near ice sheet crevices.

The deepest of these crevices could be dozens of meters, comparable to a tall building.

This meant the mountaineering team had to avoid thinner ice areas and search in thicker ice areas.

The mountaineering team gazed at the seemingly endless frozen lake, falling into contemplation.

How long would it take to find? They might not even discover a Frostbone Ice Lotus before dark, right?

And with the polar night, low visibility added extreme difficulty to the search.

Seeming to sense teammates’ worries, Goatee Captain said, “Powerful polar creatures likely guard treasures like the Frostbone Ice Lotus. We just need to find these powerful polar creatures to spot the Frostbone Ice Lotus.”

Hearing this, everyone seemed somewhat reassured.

Finding a polar creature was manageable, at least there was a trail to follow.

The ice sheet crevices were numerous and winding. Searching for a hidden Frostbone Ice Lotus alone—not just for them five, but even five hundred people might not find it.

They couldn’t wander randomly on the ice either. The other mountaineering team members weren’t locals and lacked experience searching here, so they followed Goatee Captain’s lead.

After walking about two kilometers and finding several ice crevices fruitlessly, the mountaineering team suddenly heard roars and collision sounds.

“Seems like someone is fighting a polar creature. Let’s go check it out quickly.”

Saying this, Goatee Captain swiftly ran over.

The others saw this and immediately followed.

As the distance closed, the sounds of battle grew clearer.

Near the source of the sounds, everyone crouched on the ice at a distance and saw a group of people fighting a Polar Ice Serpent in an ice crevice below.

This group also wore mountaineering gear, clearly another team seeking the Ice Crystal Fruit.

This team had ten members, all appearing quite powerful, coordinating with each other against the massive polar creature.

This Polar Ice Serpent was over a hundred meters long, its beastly eyes gleaming with ferocity, capable of swallowing a whole area of creatures in one bite.

Its massive body’s mere writhing could cause nearby ice to collapse, posing significant trouble for the mountaineering team.

What seemed most terrifying wasn’t its crystalline scales but the poisonous gas it spewed from its mouth.

If it were just poison gas, there might be ways, but the gas concealed ice needles. A slight graze could mean instant death.

The roars and sounds of collapsing ice echoed through the crevice.

Many times, the mountaineering team narrowly escaped danger, but the Polar Ice Serpent also suffered some attacks.

It was apparent that the opposing mountaineering team aimed to strike the Polar Ice Serpent’s vital point but repeatedly failed.

At this moment, Zhang Yangqing slowly walked over.

“What’s up? Why aren’t you getting the Frostbone Ice Lotus, crouching here?”

This remark indeed carried a tone of disdain, as if saying they were useless, unable to handle such a small matter.

But it fit Zhang Yangqing’s character; he usually wouldn’t personally handle minor tasks.

One could also say that if these words weren’t from Zhang Yangqing, the others would directly retort: Are you kidding? You talk without feeling the strain, don’t you? They’re fighting down there; it’s so dangerous ahead. How do you expect us to get it?

If they provoked the Polar Ice Serpent and the ten-person team, both sides might attack them, and that would be disastrous.

But since Zhang Yangqing said it, they could only wear awkward smiles, showing ashamed expressions. Then Goatee Captain, as the representative, said, “It’s not that we don’t want to get it. The battle below has reached a fever pitch. We wanted to wait for them to wear each other out before going. That’s more reliable.”

Zhang Yangqing pursed his lips and said, “They won’t determine a winner. That ten-person team is almost exhausted. Once they feel they can’t win, they’ll definitely try to leave. Then you’ll still have to fight, and they’ll be watching from the sidelines, putting you in a passive position.”

Zhang Yangqing saw the outcome at a glance, making the four teammates even more ashamed.

They intended to profit from others’ conflict, but the others wouldn’t fight to the death.

In other Chosen Ones’ teams, teammates needed the Chosen One’s intellect; they possessed some combat power, and everyone needed to cooperate.

But in Zhang Yangqing’s team, these teammates felt utterly useless, even thinking they might have died long ago without Zhang Yangqing.

This highlighted the importance of different Chosen Ones within their teams.

Other Chosen Ones played a support role in their teams. Transcendents like Gregorio were already main forces.

Zhang Yangqing was different; he was the absolute anchor. The team couldn’t survive without him; other teammates even had absolute dependence on him.

Because Zhang Yangqing’s teammates seemed to sense no danger at all, inexplicably passing through many seemingly perilous stages.

Like this minor issue before them, they were timid, yet Zhang Yangqing pointed it out directly.

Then, these four guys subconsciously decided not to think anymore.

Since big bro can figure it out, then you handle it.

We can’t fight it anyway, right?

The four teammates began to slack off.

This left Zhang Yangqing speechless. If the rules didn’t say you all couldn’t die, believe me, I’d just toss you down there directly.

But these guys could still handle chores, so Zhang Yangqing reluctantly jumped down.

While the Polar Ice Serpent and the ten-person mountaineering team were locked in fierce combat, a figure flashed by.

A stunning sword gleam shimmered between heaven and earth, transforming into a terrifying giant sword.

Thwack!

The Polar Ice Serpent’s body was directly severed into two by the giant sword.

The massive body abruptly fell, stirring up a cloud of ice dust within the crevice.

It was so sudden; even the Polar Ice Serpent didn’t react before its life was cut off.

“A sword master?”

After Zhang Yangqing killed the Polar Ice Serpent, exclamations of astonishment sounded around him.

The ten-person mountaineering team gradually approached. After all, if Zhang Yangqing hadn’t appeared, they might have chosen to leave.

These people were also seeing a swordsman as powerful as Zhang Yangqing for the first time.

Although this move had a hint of ‘sneak attack,’ the ten-person team acknowledged his strength.

At this moment, Zhang Yangqing’s slacking teammates also descended one after another.

Compared to the tension the opposing team showed upon seeing them, they seemed more relaxed.

As Zhang Yangqing’s teammates, they no longer sensed any danger.

Seeing the Frostbone Ice Lotus in Zhang Yangqing’s hand, the ten-person team’s captain stepped forward and said,

“Friend, we fought that Polar Ice Serpent for a long time. Could we perhaps distribute what’s in your hand reasonably?”

The team leader had already put it very tactfully, telling Zhang Yangqing that even if he hadn’t made any great contributions, he had still worked hard.

But his team members were dissatisfied. Why should we, who fought for half the day, let you, who just came up and landed the final sneak-attack sword strike, take the item?

However, the captain stopped them, wanting to hear Zhang Yangqing’s response.

Zhang Yangqing nodded and said, “I’m a reasonable person. Let’s divide it this way. After all, I killed the Polar Ice Serpent, so we also have a share in this Frostbone Ice Lotus, right?”

The ten-person team, seeing Zhang Yangqing suddenly being so reasonable, also nodded.

Although they outnumbered them, they were heavily depleted, while the other five seemed fresh. In a fight, they wouldn’t have the advantage.

Besides, the Frostbone Ice Lotus was currently in Zhang Yangqing’s hand; they wanted to see how he would divide it.

Regarding distribution, Zhang Yangqing was naturally fair and just.

Seeing no objections, he brought the Frostbone Ice Lotus before him, plucked five petals, then tossed the rest to the ten-person team, saying, “This Frostbone Ice Lotus has six petals in total. We only want five; the remaining one is for you guys. No need to thank me.”

After he finished speaking, everyone was stunned.

Especially the opposing ten-person group; they were even dumbfounded.

What?

Your team of five takes five petals.

Our ten-person team gets only one? Are you treating us like beggars?

And what use is throwing the lotus root to us? That thing doesn’t ward off cold!

Now the members of the ten-person mountaineering team couldn’t stay silent.

One of them stepped forward and said, “You’re giving us the useless part?”

Zhang Yangqing nodded in reply, “Isn’t that obvious? Would I give you the useful part?”

“You…”

Zhang Yangqing’s words left the ten-person team momentarily speechless.

According to normal procedure, shouldn’t you make some excuse, then we retort angrily?!

Zhang Yangqing being so direct practically short-circuited their brains.

After a long pause, someone on the opposite side finally reacted.

“Bro, he’s messing with us!”