Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 307 Competition
The General Zuo casually flipped through Zhou You's list of names—which Tao Le'an had obviously forged—with his greasy hands, and then tossed it aside.

The paper landed squarely in the feeding trough, and several fat pigs gathered around it, but seeing that it wasn't food, they dispersed without much interest.

General Zuo leaned back in his chair, tore a chicken leg from between the plates, casually snapped off a piece, chewed it a few times, but still spat it out.

"I know why you've come. You just want to use me as a stepping stone to curry favor with the Prince, right? Yes, because I'm related to the Prince, I'm quite favored by him, but the problem is..."

"Why should I help you?"

Zhou You maintained his composed and unassuming demeanor and smiled.

“I heard from Master Yu a few days ago that the general is having some trouble. Perhaps I can help him with my abilities.”

General Zuo finally raised his head, looked at Zhou You, and then grinned, revealing teeth full of bits of meat scraps.

"If you came alone, it would be fine, after all, the invitation is really beautifully written, but the problem is that you came with the two of them. That won't work."

"What do you mean?"

“It’s simple.” General Zuo pointed his fat finger at the master and apprentice. “It’s not that I have any prejudice, but I’ve always felt that good-for-nothings recommend good-for-nothings—you can ask these two yourself. They bragged so loudly back then, but what was the result? One big piece of good-for-nothing and the other a small piece of good-for-nothing, they couldn’t even handle a mere haunted village!”

Upon hearing this, Fu Yu immediately shouted angrily.

"If you hadn't refused to send a single soldier, would we have been forced to venture deep into enemy territory alone? And what kind of haunted village was that? It was clearly your random digging that led to this disaster. Waaaaah!"

Master Yu quickly covered his disciple's mouth, then bowed and apologized repeatedly to General Zuo.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. This kid is too young. He speaks so rudely. I will definitely teach him a lesson when I get back. Please forgive him this time, General."

General Zuo did not respond. Instead, he took another piece of fish from the food, chewed it a few times, and then spat it out again.

"Since he's young, that's fine. But remember, teach him manners more often. I'll let it go, but if he still acts like this when he sees the prince, don't blame me for not warning you."

"Thank you, General. Thank you, General!"

Seeing the old man retreat in a panic, General Zuo turned to Zhou You.

"Is there anything else you need? If not, hurry up and get out of here with these two good-for-nothings, and don't delay this general's meal."

Zhou You remained neither humble nor arrogant, bowing slightly before smiling.

"Since the general does not trust me, how can I gain the general's trust?"

The fat man suddenly burst into laughter, as if he had seen something extremely funny. His laughter grew louder and louder, and even his foul-smelling spittle flew everywhere.

"Want to gain my trust? It's simple, just prove your abilities."

The general clapped his hands, and one of the soldiers outside rushed in. After receiving a few instructions, he hurriedly ran out again.

Before long, a man reeking of alcohol, but over nine feet tall and resembling a giant, lifted the curtain and walked in.

Upon seeing this person, General Zuo immediately smiled.

"Well, Taoist priest, don't let the fact that my army is rife with gambling and prostitution fool you. We actually have some truly formidable figures here. This gentleman, surnamed Liu, came from the former prison camp. He once killed a wild boar with his bare hands. He might not be the most powerful person in our army, but he's certainly not the most skilled."

However, before he could finish speaking, Duan Xie was already drawn.

—A flash of cold light appeared, and the blade stopped at the neck of the man surnamed Liu.

General Zuo and the others were dumbfounded. After a long while, this man slammed his fist on the table and roared.

"What do you want to do!"

Unexpectedly.

Zhou You, the instigator, felt completely innocent.

"No, General, you specifically called this person over here just so I could fight him, right? Well then, does this count as me winning?"

"What a load of rubbish!" General Zuo roared. "Normally, you and he would set up the arena, introduce yourselves, exchange pleasantries, and then start fighting. Who told you to make the first move!"

"But you didn't say either, and who would be bored enough to reveal their family name during a life-or-death battle? Alright, alright, I'll do as you say—come on, is this one surnamed Xiong or Liu? Let's fight again."

However, even after the sword was withdrawn from his neck, the burly man still did not move.

After a while, he stared blankly with his lifeless eyes and then collapsed—his head hit the ground with a loud 'bang'.

Russia.

Fu Yu finally managed to break free from his master's confinement, but after only glancing at him, he laughed gleefully.

"This guy was bragging like crazy, but he's such a coward? Did he pee himself?"

General Zuo's face turned extremely ugly upon hearing the mockery. He glanced at Zhou You and then said in a gloomy tone.

"—What did you just do?"

However, the person simply shrugged, their face still bearing that innocent expression.

"No, General, you saw everything that just happened. I didn't do anything. This guy just got scared and collapsed—don't blame me for that."

General Zuo watched coldly for a long time, but finally waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to carry the man out.

Zhou You looked at the body that reeked of urine and couldn't help but sigh.

—As expected of a muscular but simple-minded creature, he only fainted after three or four breaths due to the overwhelming murderous aura. Among ordinary people, he is considered to have some skill.

Soon, another man, a skinny fellow carrying a long spear and with an arrogant expression, entered through the tent.

The Left General said fiercely.

"My entire army numbers in the thousands, and I've recruited quite a few martial arts practitioners. I refuse to believe I can't handle you!"

Half an hour later.

Zhou You listlessly withdrew his sword.

Right before his eyes, a man as fierce as a bull collapsed softly, his eyes filled with disbelief even before he lost consciousness.

The last thing he said was...

"How could there be such a fast sword in this world!"

"If you're ignorant and clueless, then don't join in the fun. There are plenty of things you don't know."

Zhou You sheathed his sword, then swept the man aside as if sweeping up trash, before raising his head and speaking to the Left General.

"General, this is the twentieth one, isn't it? After so many people, haven't I won your favor yet?"

General Zuo's face was so dark it looked like it could be squeezed dry. He stared at Zhou You for a long time, then suddenly...

He grinned. Instantly, all hostility vanished without a trace. He picked up a piece of fish fillet, tossed it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed it for the first time.

"Impressive skills indeed! I misjudged you this time; I never expected you could handle so many of my best soldiers."

This time, Zhou You didn't mock him anymore, but instead gave a slight bow.

"You flatter me. It's fortunate that they went up one by one, and there were no archers or crossbowmen on the outside. Otherwise, if they had been surrounded, even I wouldn't have been able to handle it."

"Why be so modest, Daoist Master? I, Old Zuo, love those with real skills!" General Zuo, whose attitude had changed drastically, laughed loudly. "You are different from those two good-for-nothings—alright, since you want to make a name for yourself here, Daoist Master, I'll grant your request—by the way, you should know that His Highness's birthday banquet is coming up in a few days, right?"

Zhou You's expression remained unchanged.

I've heard a little about it.

"You probably don't know this, but every time the Prince holds a birthday banquet, he always selects the most talented people in the world to serve him. As long as you can gain the Prince's favor, not to mention protecting a sect, you can even think about the current status of the Hou Tu Sect. And coincidentally, I have a few extra birthday banquet invitations here."

Seeing that ambiguous smile, Zhou You knew that this thing definitely couldn't be given away for free, so he smiled in perfect cooperation.

"Then may I ask, how can I obtain this invitation?"

General Zuo burst into laughter.

“It’s so convenient to talk to smart people—you should know that the prince sent me to suppress those peasant rebels. I had almost wiped them out, but who would have thought that the remaining ones would all run away to a remote village—and for some reason, your village is haunted. At first, I put those two good-for-nothings in charge, but since you’re capable, then you can do it.”

Upon hearing this, Master Yu, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up anxiously.

"General, you mustn't! That object is the most crucial element of the formation. Anyone who doesn't know its true nature will either die or be seriously injured if they go in."

Before he could finish speaking, a hand reached out from the side.

"Then I would be disrespectful."

Seeing the General Zuo wave his hand impatiently, Zhou You wisely withdrew, but before lifting the tent flap, he seemed to suddenly remember something and turned back to ask.

"My lord, I only saw male laborers digging pits outside. Where are the women?"

"Why are you asking this?" General Zuo scratched his head with his greasy fingers. "I don't know where they were assigned. They've been scattered all this time. Most of them should have gone to help out at the Prince's birthday banquet, right?"

Zhou You nodded and left.

—As soon as he stepped out of the tent, the Taoist Yu hurriedly grabbed Zhou You.

"Fellow Daoist, didn't I tell you to follow my lead from now on? How could you act on your own? This is going to be a disaster!"

Zhou You didn't care at all, and just laughed.

"Hey bro, you guys have been so secretive from the start, and you just wouldn't say what your mission is. Could it really be related to this ghost village?"

Master Yu gritted his teeth, wanting to grab the good-for-nothing's ear, but then remembered that he wasn't his own disciple, and stomped his foot angrily.

"That's right, that's exactly why we're here!"

"Brother Yu, are you afraid I'll steal your credit?"

"I'm not afraid of you stealing credit!" The Taoist Yu finally couldn't help but swear, but soon, seeing that no one was around, he grabbed Zhou You's collar and whispered in his ear.

“Listen, Brother Zhou, I don’t know why you’re so fixated on the Prince—you don’t look like you’re trying to protect your sect—but if you really are going, I can only give you one piece of advice.”

"Once you discover the culprit behind that ghost village, remember not to use it for good. No matter how much it offers you, don't agree. If you can bury it back, bury it back. If you can't bury it back, find a way to destroy it. If you can't destroy it, bring it back to me, and I'll rush back to Maoshan to suppress it."

Hearing these heartfelt words, Zhou You's expression finally turned serious.

"Brother, could you explain this to me in more detail?"

Unexpectedly, the old man shook his head vigorously.

"Brother, when navigating this world, you must remember one thing. It's better not to know the true nature of something, at least you still have ways to deal with it. But once you know its true nature, it will also know your identity. Once it knows your identity, it can also reach you. Once it can reach you..."

Master Yu stopped talking, though Zhou You could still sense a deep fear in his voice.

Zhou You remained silent for a while before replying.

"Then may I ask, brother, would you be willing to accompany me on this trip? Don't worry, I will never let you go into dangerous places. I only need to give you some pointers at key points."

Master Yu seemed somewhat tempted, but ultimately shook his head.

“If it were before, I would definitely have accompanied you on this trip, but the problem is that I have lost my armored corpse and am basically a burden now. Besides, as you have seen, those militiamen outside the camp also need protection. Although I, as a disciple of Maoshan, am looked down upon by that General Zuo, I still have some influence among the ordinary soldiers. If I am away for too long, I'm afraid…”

An ordinary person would have thought that this Taoist Yu was cowardly and deliberately making excuses, but Zhou You looked at the shameful expression on his face, which was genuine and without any falsehood, and finally clasped his hands in a fist and said.

"Brother, you're so kind. I'll go on my own first."

Of course, neither of them noticed that Fu Yu was watching the conversation intently, his face full of eager anticipation.

Shortly after Zhou You left, the camp was empty again.

At the large dining table, only the sound of General Zuo chewing and the swallowing sounds of the beasts beside him could be heard.

After a while, the bell in front of the door was rung again. This time, before General Zuo could answer, a soldier carrying a basin of water hurriedly walked in.

General Zuo was about to get angry, but when he looked at the bronze basin, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

Then, the fat man sprang up with an agility completely out of proportion to his size, approached the copper basin, and spoke to the soldier.

"Has a message arrived from the Prince's side?"

The soldier did not answer, but simply stared at him.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Oh right, I forgot, to prevent you from being betrayed, the Thick Earth Cult removed your brain."

General Zuo snatched the bronze basin—the pigs next to it tried to come closer, but he immediately kicked them away.

"Go away, even turning into a pig won't quell your curiosity. Do you really want to be slaughtered prematurely?"

Seeing the pigs grunting and running away, General Zuo placed the copper basin on a relatively clean table, then cut his finger and dripped his blood into it.

In the blink of an eye, the basin of clear water became murky, with blood streaks rising and falling within it. Finally, as a layer of shimmering light spread out, the surface of the water calmed down once more.

About four or five breaths later, an old, withered face, like the bark of an ancient tree, appeared.

General Zuo dared not show the slightest disrespect. Even knowing that the person inside could not see him, he immediately knelt down, kowtowed several times, and then got up and asked cautiously.

"Your Highness, may I ask what brings you to this servant by using the Water Mirror technique?"

　Thank you to Lili for the 1000-point reward, thank you to dfwarw for the 100-point reward, and thank you to Fengli for the 520+500-point reward.

　　P.S.: A lesson learned the hard way today: always check the reviews before ordering takeout. Never order from places with half the reviews being negative, otherwise...
　　
　
(End of this chapter)