I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Is This What You Meant by “Stand Up”?

Zhang Yangqing’s actions left all viewers utterly bewildered.

If he’d already deduced that the curly-haired woman was suspicious, why did he still kill the apartment’s rightful owner?

Of course, most viewers in the Dragon Nation were busy debating strategies:

[I think Zhang’s choice makes sense. He already killed the husband—the wife would’ve come after him anyway. Better to eliminate both and simplify things.]

[Good point. Even if he killed the curly-haired woman now, the owner wouldn’t spare him. Might as well kill the owner and keep the curly-haired woman as an ally. They’re both tenants—they can watch each other’s backs.]

[But isn’t recruiting allies risky? What if she betrays him? This supernatural challenge can corrupt people, right?]

[Zhang told her to dispose of the bodies—could that be the key to avoiding corruption?]
[Possible, but there’s no concrete intel to support that yet.]

Truthfully, the Dragon Nation’s audience was surprisingly close to the mark.

Zhang Yangqing was primarily conducting an experiment.

He wanted to see how she handled the corpses.

In this supernatural world, many things normal humans would find repulsive were considered food.

The two violent spirits he’d slain earlier had clearly intended to eat the curly-haired woman.

When Zhang entered, the middle-aged woman had complained about being hungry.

The rabbit-eared spirit’s claim that the curly-haired woman was his “daughter” was likely a territorial warning—a way to mark her as his prey.

That’s why the curly-haired woman had sought help from other tenants.

Earlier, everyone had noticed the foul-smelling garbage bags outside some doors.

The stench of rotting meat was unmistakable.

As for the source of that “meat”? Best not to dwell on it.

From these clues, Zhang Yangqing made a bold deduction:

In the last challenge, he’d played the role of the hunter.

This time, he might be the prey—livestock in a twisted ecosystem.

How the tables had turned.

Rule 1 stated: “There is no edible food in the apartment.”

But “edible” might refer to the participants themselves.

The curly-haired woman had explicitly said she was a tenant, yet the residents had hunted her like food.

Her escape might’ve been a warning to the participants.

Other chosen ones would likely piece this together eventually—but for now, only Zhang Yangqing had connected the dots.

Worse, this challenge might have hidden insta-death rules.

Rule 16 mentioned: *”After three days, the heavy rain will stop. Once the landlord of Unit 7-4 appears, you will have cleared the challenge.”*

Key detail: It said “appears”, not “returns”.

This implied two interpretations:

1. Wait for the landlord to show up (literal meaning).

2. If the landlord doesn’t appear, find another way—like becoming the landlord yourself.

The challenge gave participants three days to uncover the method.

Zhang Yangqing leaned toward the second interpretation. It felt more reliable.

But surviving those three days would be a nightmare.

One misstep meant death.

Not everyone could kill violent spirits like him.

For most, surviving the first night was the real test.

Their lifeline? The “good person” mentioned in the rules.

Meanwhile, at Unit 8-4…

While Zhang Yangqing headed to Unit 8-4, other participants had already arrived.

The door was bizarre—carved with eerie, talisman-like patterns.

This round was a high-difficulty match, but the participants held their nerve.

In a random selection, few would’ve made it this far.

Alone and vulnerable (except for Zhang, who considered himself the apex predator), they sensed danger everywhere.

Japan’s top Onmyōji, Abe Hirohira, took a steadying breath and knocked.

Rapid footsteps inside made him instinctively step back.

The rabbit-eared spirit’s attack was still fresh in his mind.

Humbled by the challenge, he’d shed his arrogance.

“That Dragon Nation show-off probably got himself killed by now,” he thought, finding solace in the idea.

The peephole darkened. A voice rasped:

“Who’re you?”

*”I’m the new tenant in Unit 7-4. I need some advice.”*

At “Unit 7-4,” the door creaked open.

Inside stood a disheveled man—unkempt beard, greasy hair, eyes glazed over.

Cigarette smoke wreathed him like a shroud.

He eyed the participant not with fear, but pity.

“Get in.”

The room reeked of smoke and alcohol.

Ashtrays overflowed; beer bottles littered the floor.

Abe noted the multiple bedrooms. This wasn’t a solo dwelling.

“This guy’s survived here for years. He must know something,” Abe reasoned.

The man—dubbed “Chain-Smoker” by viewers—offered a beer. Every participant refused.

Only rule-sanctioned food was safe.

Chain-Smoker gulped his drink, seeming to sober up.

Participants probed for intel:

• About Unit 7-4:

  • Curly-Hair claimed the husband was violent.

  • Chain-Smoker said the wife was mentally ill.

  • Neither knew if they were tenants or owners.

• Community Rules:

  • Tenants had individual rules.

  • Survival required staying a set duration.

  • Chain-Smoker’s term: 20 years.

• Critical Survival Tips:

  • “Pets here are carnivorous—and smart. Never sleep near them.”

  • “Lock all furniture before bed. It keeps ‘them’ out.”

That was all he offered. Becoming a landlord? He had no clue.

Nightfall loomed. Participants grew desperate.

America’s “Muscle Scholar” Miller eyed the extra bedrooms.

“Let me stay tonight,” he begged.

Chain-Smoker refused. His survival depended on strict rule adherence.

Suddenly—footsteps outside. Many of them.

Chain-Smoker paled. “My landlord’s back. You need to go.”

Most participants bolted for the windows, rain be damned.

Even Abe and India’s monk fled like ghosts.

(Those who slipped? Pray for them.)

Dragon Nation’s Screen:

Chain-Smoker tensed at the approaching footsteps.

“Get up! My landlord’s here with his crew!”

Zhang Yangqing waved him off.

“Relax. I only stand up to fight if there’s thirty or more.”

Chain-Smoker: “…”

Is this what you meant by “stand up”?!