I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 46

Chapter 46: What If… That Counts as Robbery?

As a renowned detective from Sakura Country, Mitarashi Saburou’s observational skills were unparalleled.

Even before boarding the bus, he had noticed the so-called hidden rules that Hu Liuqi mentioned.

At the station, there were many “starving” individuals—victims of the famine mentioned in the radio broadcast. Yet despite their hunger, none of them resorted to cannibalism.

This implied that as citizens, they were forbidden from harming each other.

The passengers on the bus weren’t all from the station, meaning even when hungry, they wouldn’t attack one another. That was the rule of this bizarre world.

The bus driver and tour guide, however, belonged to a special category—fair game for the citizens.

Since the passengers feared the driver, their obvious target was the chosen one.

But they could only attack if the chosen one broke a rule.

This was the world’s way of protecting them.

Mitarashi had deduced this just from the station crowd’s gazes.

For this trial, two choices led to death:

1. Disembarking with the old lady during daytime.

2. Ignoring her request and driving off.

Both would trigger her attack—she’d met all the conditions to strike.

But there was a difference between attack conditions and instant-death conditions.

• Attack conditions meant the supernatural could target you, but you could still evade or fight back.

• Instant-death conditions meant immediate demise upon triggering.

For Mitarashi, the only solution was… the beautiful assistant.

She might seem harmless and innocent, but remember—she was from the station. A citizen.

And citizens couldn’t attack each other.

So Mitarashi sent her to accompany the old lady instead. The assistant could dig up the requested item while he stayed safely onboard.

The old lady had asked for the “tour guide”—technically, the assistant counted, since she was the “guide’s helper.”

Rule 6 even stated: You have a small assistant. She can help you well, and you can trust her completely.

This was her purpose.

Mitarashi had anticipated this. The bizarre world wouldn’t just hand you a pretty花瓶 (flower vase) for no reason.

Whether you realized her usefulness was up to you.

As expected, the assistant returned shortly, mission accomplished.

After witnessing Mitarashi’s flawless strategy, viewers immediately switched to the Dragon Country’s chosen one—Zhang Yangqing—to see if he had an even better solution.

He’d paid 60 units for gas and taken the old lady’s money. By all accounts, he’d crossed the death threshold.

Would he also send his assistant?

Surely, if Mitarashi could figure it out, so could he.

But what followed left every expert dumbfounded.

When the bus reached Joyous Graveyard, Zhang Yangqing didn’t stop. He ordered the driver to keep going.

Was he oblivious, planning to brute-force his way through?

Or had he deciphered something even more profound?

The experts were stumped.

Then came the real shock: The old lady didn’t attack him at all.

Had they and Mitarashi misjudged? Was driving off actually safe?

The bizarre world defied logic. Now, the experts faced a dilemma:

Trust Mitarashi’s method… or Zhang Yangqing’s?

With only 30 seconds to relay advice, most countries played it safe and followed Mitarashi.

Thanks to this, 54 chosen ones survived the first trial unscathed—though they’d exhausted their communication chance.

Remarkably, no one died this round.

Dragon Country’s experts were the most relaxed.

“No need to remind this guy. Unless it’s an instant-death scenario, nothing can stump him.”

Still, some found Zhang Yangqing’s actions baffling. He was more abnormal than the supernatural itself.

“Why didn’t the old lady attack him? Is she… scared?”

Hu Liuqi chuckled. “Overthinking it. Zhang Yangqing never took her tip—why would she attack?”

The experts blinked. “But he clearly took 200 units from her!”

Hu Liuqi sighed. “What if… that counts as robbery?”

Experts: “…”

Oh.

That made sense.

If it was stolen, it wasn’t a “tip.”

Hu Liuqi had watched closely. Those Zhang Yangqing “acquired” funds from never made requests—so it couldn’t be considered payment.

He’d reverse-engineered the logic: Answer first, question later.

Currently, 189 chosen ones remained—a record high.

Why?

Because this time, there was a “correct answer” and one chance to communicate.

Previously, even with multiple screens, experts didn’t know whom to trust.

This was why Mitarashi’s support rate had always topped the charts.

But the celebration was short-lived.

Just as they’d survived the first trial, new crises emerged.

Chosen ones who’d accepted tips from the twin sisters were now ordered to kill one of them.

Refusal meant triggering the sisters’ attack conditions.

Since Zhang Yangqing and Mitarashi hadn’t taken their money, there was no reference.

Experts could only let their chosen ones decide.

The result? All 39 who’d accepted the twins’ tips died horribly.

The sisters were mirror images—impossible to tell who was older.

Their damp bodies left watery footprints wherever they stepped.

Whether a chosen one killed the left or right twin, they were instantly counter-killed.

Some tried ordering their assistants to intervene, but citizens couldn’t attack each other.

The experts were stumped. Was this unwinnable?

“Should they have refused the twins’ money?”

“Or… kill both?”

The latter seemed impossible—except for one person.

As the bus stopped at the second gas station, Mitarashi—short on funds for experiments—approached the twins for more “tips.”

Experts worldwide tuned in, anticipating the “correct answer.”

As for Dragon Country’s chosen one?

His methods were his alone.