Rules of the Strange: I Became a God in a Bizarre World Through Taoist Arts

Shen Xingzhuo's gaze swept over the remaining six unlit rings, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"I've already exceeded the completion requirements for the hidden quest, haven't I?"

She posed a question.

The ghost stories seem to have stalled again.

Then, its broadcast tone carried a hint of regret.

[Please confirm, Chosen One Shen Xingzhuo: Do ​​you wish to end the explanation and only claim the initial completion reward for the hidden quest?]

It's implying that the more information Shen Xingzhuo provides, the greater the reward will be.

Unfortunately, Shen Xingzhuo had absolutely no interest in this pie in the sky.

She didn't even get any of the normal rewards for completing the levels. Did she really expect the Ghost Stories Society to give her a high-level item for the first time ever?

Obviously it is impossible.

"Confirmed." Her voice was cold. "Please begin distributing the rewards."

Shen Xingzhu crossed his arms and waited leisurely for the rewards from the ghost stories to be tallied.

This time it only lasted a moment before the ghost stories began to ring out again.

[Congratulations, Chosen One, on completing the hidden quest.]

[Analysis and judgment: The Chosen One has correctly revealed the secrets of four dolls, meeting the minimum completion standard for the hidden mission.]

[The corresponding rewards will now be distributed.]

[1: Tianxia Kingdom's national fortune value +10. Simultaneously, two random "occupied zones" will undergo an anomaly suppression procedure, lasting 72 interstellar standard times.]

[2: The Chosen One obtains a special item—Fusion Potion. Note that this item is only usable during this particular mystery; please use it wisely.]

[3: Plot progression hint +1, the chosen one can randomly view three lines of the brother's inner monologue.]

[Rewards have been distributed. Please check your accounts, Chosen One.]

After the ghost story was told, the spotlight above Shen Xingzhuo's head went out, and the surroundings returned to an eerie silence.

Shen Xingzhuo clenched the medicine bottle in her hand.

The moment she touched the bottle, the instructions for using the potion automatically came to mind.

"That's inhuman!"

This isn't a special prop; it's practically her death warrant!

As she just stated, the doll and her sister will be two separate people from now on.

Now, the ghost stories have given her a potion that can merge her and her sister back into a single entity?!

What about the suffering my sister endured before?

Is she considered strong?

Shen Xingzhu suppressed the urge to throw the medicine away.

His voice was laced with suppressed anger, "The task is finished, why aren't you turning on the lights!"

【? ? ? 】

What's wrong with Sister Shen? She seems a little angry.

[They've withdrawn. I thought Tianxia's chosen one was a smart person, but this is it??]

[The person upstairs has already commented, but be careful, or you might get chased and verbally abused by her brainless fans.]

What are you afraid of? There are so many of us.

[I've been too afraid to say this before; I genuinely don't understand what she's so arrogant about. She could have gotten much more rewards, but she only mentioned four. Is she afraid that Tianxia will have it too easy under the control of the Weirdos?]

Suddenly, many discordant voices appeared in the live chat.

When Guan Shanyue saw this in the command room, his face instantly darkened.

"What are these people doing?!" Su Anyu exploded. "How long have they had a peaceful life? And now they're here saying bad things about Shen Xingzhuo?!"

Lu Qianling looked at him with some surprise upon hearing this.

Su Anyu blushed under the gaze and stammered, "W-what's wrong? I just can't stand people talking about those who are charging on the front lines."

Lu Qianling smiled and nodded, turning her gaze back to the screen in front of her.

"Captain Guan, the pollution threshold in the area where these people are located has reached its peak. I suspect they have been affected by deep psychological pollution."

Guan Shanyue understood. These people were in the most desperate area. What they feared was not that the chosen ones would not win, but that the rewards they would win would not fall to them.

I can understand, but...

"Ban them from speaking."

Then, they directly released an announcement using the official account.

[All-China Alliance - Global Announcement]

The ten rings that appear in front of the chosen one are merely visual markers to indicate whether her judgment is correct or not; they do not represent that the doll actually has ten hidden secrets.

The strange tale asks this question in order to guide the chosen one to make a mistake.

Furthermore, this hidden mission is not separate from the complete story; it is part of the process of revealing the truth. Based on the clues known to the Chosen One, she has done her best to win additional valuable resources and buffer time for the country.

The rules of the strange tale are ever-changing.

Regardless, let all citizens maintain their faith and firmly believe that every judgment our chosen ones make in these strange tales is the optimal solution for the present moment!

As soon as the announcement was released, the comments section became much quieter.

……

Meanwhile, in the ghost story, Shen Xingzhuo shouted, but the lights still didn't turn on as expected.

"If you won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences..."

She took out the purification talisman she had drawn earlier, and her voice was as clear as thunder.

"May the mighty gods of the eight directions grant me my natural order. May all evil and filth vanish, and may the Dao's vital energy endure forever. So be it!"

The talisman in his hand spontaneously combusted without fire, and the ashes swirled in the room, purifying the endless stream of ghostly energy within.

From the perspective of the sky screen, it's like going from 1080P to 4K ultra-high definition.

[Holy crap!!! What was that just now?! A purifying light wave?!]

[History Bro? Is History Bro there?! Please explain!]

[History Bro: This... the book says it uses the spiritual energy in talismans, combined with Taoist incantations, for purification? I'm still reading the "Taoist Encyclopedia"... Abandon! Abandon! The kid doesn't understand...]

Shen Xingzhuo didn't care too much about how it would shock outsiders.

But in the ghost story, after the purification, she clearly saw the source of the ghostly aura, which was the perfect puppet that had first appeared in the center of the ceiling.

His fist clenched again.

The central position in the celestial palace is extremely ominous!

This brother didn't even want his sister's soul to have a moment's peace.

Enraged, Shen Xingzhuo laughed. She twisted her sleeve, and the gold needle she had hidden earlier landed on her fingertips.

With a flick of her wrist, the golden needle shot out, carrying the explosive force of her spiritual energy, precisely striking the hinge of the chains suspending the puppet!

The perfect puppet fell down.

"Sizzle...crunch..."

All the displayed, broken puppets in the room moved.

Shen Xingzhu chuckled. It seemed that this place was different from the ghost realm she had imagined.

For example, these puppets that can attack on their own without the support of ghostly energy are evidence of this.

But before she could think too much, a white figure suddenly pounced and slammed her aside!

It's the butler in white.

He used his withered body to block a pounced puppet, then pushed Shen Xingzhuo into an open, empty display case and closed the door behind him!

[Shen Xingzhuo, the chosen one of the Tianxia Kingdom, has an 80% favorability rating with his butler.]

[Permanently activate the 'White-Clad Butler' form.]

[Gain skill: 'Butler's Protection'. In critical situations, this skill allows you to push your butler out to shield him from three attacks.]

Shen Xingzhuo's brows furrowed tightly.

She underestimated the evil of ghost stories.

Tongtong, who was inside her sleeve, became unusually restless and tried desperately to climb out, but accidentally pulled the bottle of medicine out with her.

"The fusion potion can perfectly combine a human and a puppet, evolving a new flesh and blood body."

Shen Xingzhu sneered, his eyes darting around as he came up with a brilliant idea.

With just a few quick movements, she slipped into the attacking group of puppets and carried away the least perfect one.

"With this talisman, I will guide you. If you respond, I will reveal myself and speak to you!"

"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!"

Shen Xingzhuo ignited the soul-summoning talisman, and in less than a moment, the air distorted, and her brother, who had disappeared into the room, suddenly reappeared.

A hint of mockery flashed in her eyes. She reached out and grabbed her brother's soul, forcefully pressing it into the "most imperfect puppet"!

"Whoosh..."

She poured the fusion potion all over the puppet.

The surface of the wood looked like it was crawling with worms, and gradually rotten flesh grew out, revealing the brother's face.

However, the original puppet was far too crude. Its newly formed eyes, nose, arms, and legs grew separately, turning it into a monster covered in fleshy buds.

The older brother tried to let out a painful roar, but he had no mouth, and he couldn't breathe properly, almost bursting himself.

After Shen Xingzhuo finished dealing with the other puppets, he turned around, tilted his head, and smiled.