I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 60

Chapter 60: The Fact That I Haven’t Struck You with Lightning Today Already Counts as Respect!

Zhang Yangqing’s resistance seemed to be higher—a so-called hidden attribute.

As a result, he was among the last to notice the abnormal changes in his body.

While the director was showing him around the hospital, he had already picked up on the discrepancies between the patients and the examination rooms.

When his condition began to worsen, he didn’t need to compare notes with others. Instead, he led his group straight to the Respiratory Medicine Department. However, the line there was quite long, with about seven or eight patients ahead of him, each taking roughly three minutes.

At that rate, it would take over twenty minutes just to get through the queue.

Even if he didn’t succumb to the poisoning, wasting twenty minutes here would severely hinder his exploration of the hospital.

In the last two instances of the Strange Tales, a single minor checkpoint had taken two hours. This time, the entire scenario only allotted two hours, with so many complex issues left unresolved.

Losing twenty minutes here was far from ideal.

This was also why many foreign viewers were eagerly anticipating Zhang Yangqing’s demise.

If he acted recklessly and the doctor felt disrespected, refusing to treat him, there was a ninety percent chance he’d die.

Even the viewers in the Dragon Kingdom were growing anxious. This seemed like an unsolvable dilemma—respecting the doctor meant waiting in line, and treatment would only begin when his turn came.

“Heavenly Master Zhang, I know you’re in a hurry, but stay calm! Play it safe!”
“This Strange Tales world seems packed with details, so don’t take risks, Heavenly Master!”
“Seriously, the rules state only doctors can treat illnesses. You really can’t afford to offend them.”
“We shouldn’t have let that director leave. He might’ve had a way to skip the line.”
“Good point. The director probably had that authority.”

Just as the Dragon Kingdom’s audience was buzzing with discussion, Zhang Yangqing sprang into action.

He wasn’t the type to sit around waiting. If there was a problem, he’d find a way to solve it.

Zhang Yangqing approached the last patient in line and struck up a conversation, trying to get on friendly terms.

But the patient ignored him, continuing to mutter to himself.

Realizing small talk was useless, Zhang Yangqing took direct action.

“Oh, I recognize you—Liangyou Icehouse! We had a meal together last time, remember?”

With that, he gripped the patient’s neck and—with a sudden burst of force—rendered the man unconscious.

“Don’t panic. Deep breaths, deep breaths! Look at you, it’s just a minor cold. No need to see a doctor—go home.”

He then shot a glance at the tourists behind him, signaling them to “handle” the now-lifeless patient.

To their credit, the tourists were extremely obedient to their “tour guide.”

While some created distractions, others carried the patient away—ostensibly to escort him back to his room, but in reality, to dump the body somewhere unseen.

Out of the thirty-seven tourists, a few were quick on the uptake.

After watching Zhang Yangqing eliminate several patients, the rest caught on and began assisting with the cover-up.

Before long, all seven or eight patients ahead of him had been “taken care of,” and it was finally his turn.

When the doctor stepped out and saw Zhang Yangqing, he was stunned. “Weren’t there a lot of patients here earlier? How is it your turn now?”

Zhang Yangqing shrugged. “No idea. They must’ve felt better and left.”

The doctor glanced around. Indeed, there were no other patients in sight.

“Alright,” the doctor said. “Come in alone.”

The rule about entering alone was the doctor’s preference—he disliked crowds in his examination room.

Watching Zhang Yangqing enter the consultation room so effortlessly left not just the Dragon Kingdom’s audience, but viewers worldwide, utterly speechless.

While other nations’ chosen ones were dutifully waiting in line—with Mitarashi Saburō even enduring a ten-minute queue—the Dragon Kingdom’s representative had resolved the issue in mere minutes?

“Wait, who’s this ‘Liangyou Icehouse’? Sounds like a name from our country.” (IP: Sakura Nation)
“Probably your second uncle.” (IP: Dragon Kingdom)
“Oh my God, this actually worked? His thought process is genuinely unpredictable.” (IP: Eagle Nation)
“The Strange Tales world doesn’t play by the rules, and neither does the Dragon Kingdom’s chosen one. Unbelievable!” (IP: Pasta Nation)
“To skip the queue, just eliminate everyone in it. Truly an inspired solution!” (IP: Curry Nation)
“I’m starting to like this Dragon Kingdom contestant. He always surprises me. I’d love to visit the Dragon Kingdom and meet him.” (IP: Tea Nation)
“We can all see right through you. You just want to immigrate to the Dragon Kingdom!” (IP: Baguette Nation)
“Wow, someone actually made ‘defecting to the Dragon Kingdom’ sound poetic. Getting into the Dragon Kingdom is harder than getting into Eagle Nation!” (IP: Kimchi Nation)
“But isn’t this disrespectful?” (IP: Kimchi Nation)
“As a doctor, I can confirm: if someone cleared my waiting room for me, I’d thank them!” (IP: Eagle Nation)

Of course, Zhang Yangqing had no intention of disrespecting the doctor.

In his mind: I didn’t cut in line or cause a scene. And let’s be real—the fact that I haven’t struck you with lightning today already counts as respect.

Put simply, if the doctor weren’t the only one who could cure his debuff, he might not even be standing upright right now.

Once inside the consultation room, the doctor examined him briefly before preparing a medicinal solution.

Zhang Yangqing scanned the room but found no useful clues. It seemed the doctor was merely an NPC for removing debuffs.

He then pulled out a bottle of cleaning agent and asked, “Doctor, does this help against the toxic gas?”

The doctor glanced at it and replied, “Cleaning agents do have some effect against toxic gas, but don’t overuse them.”

Zhang Yangqing observed the doctor’s expression closely but detected no signs of deception.

When dealing with neutral factions, he preferred not to provoke them unnecessarily—especially since he might need the doctor’s help again if the gas poisoning worsened.

Besides, neutral NPCs had no reason to lie.

The doctor’s answer matched the nurse’s. Next, he’d have to see what the patients had to say.

After applying the medicinal solution to his hands, Zhang Yangqing felt significantly better.

He thanked the doctor and left the room, closing the door softly out of courtesy.

After all, the doctor had cured him, and he saw no reason to trigger any “disrespect” penalties.

His next destination was the inpatient ward.

There, he could obtain an apple, meet the hospital director, and possibly uncover more clues. He could also verify the identities of the nurses and patients.

But shortly after leaving the consultation room, Zhang Yangqing noticed a pair of eyes watching him through a glass window.

After instructing the tourists to wait nearby, he headed in a specific direction, walking faster and faster.

The figure trailing him sped up as well but soon lost sight of him.

Just as the pursuer began searching frantically, Zhang Yangqing materialized behind him, smiling.

“You’ve been following me for a while. Care to explain why?”

The stranger, unfazed, returned the smile and whispered, “Run. This isn’t a hospital.”

With that, the figure vanished.

Zhang Yangqing didn’t give chase—because the person had been wearing gray clothing.