The secret chamber of national destiny, the design of the ancestral home, you're building the Z

The repeated defeats over the years had long since worn away the spirit of the Great Xia people. Morale was low, people were in a state of panic, and they feared powerful enemies like tigers, acting cautiously and trembling with fear.

They've all forgotten that what began as a thirst for victory has long since turned into a struggle for survival.

But Zhang Qilin's words were a wake-up call, seemingly awakening courage in the hearts of the people of Daxia.

Moreover, Zhang Qilin proved with his own actions that foreign powers were nothing to fear, as they too could die in the secret chambers of the Great Xia people.

[Great Xia will prevail! Zhang Qilin, my idol!]

[Well said, what's there to be afraid of? Foreigners don't have two heads.]

[Exactly, they're all talk and no action; two of them are already dead.]

[Heh, you pathetic wretches of Great Xia, Miss Hezi has already discovered the black dog blood. Do you think that water ghost can still stop it? Just await your fate of destruction; the outcome won't change.]

[You damn Sakura kids, don't get cocky! Don't cry when you lose!]

……

For a time, the people of Daxia were united in their belief that Zhang Qilin would surely win.

……

On the shore, Koheiko's preparations continued.

After carefully putting away the crucial bottle of black dog blood, her gaze fell on the packet of white powder that had been overlooked.

Previously, everyone subconsciously categorized it as salt or a seasoning, but now, inspired by the "black dog blood" clue, any unconventional item deserves a re-examination.

She dipped a small amount into her finger, placed it on the tip of her tongue, tasted it slightly, and then raised a hint of surprise on her brow.

"Miss Kazuko, isn't this salt?" Koe Saburo asked, puzzled.

"No," Koheko shook her head, her tone certain, "This is a strong alkali (sodium hydroxide), and it's very pure."

"Alkali?!" Koei Saburo was even more confused. "Black dog blood could be somewhat explained... but strong alkali? Who would carry this thing on an underwater expedition? It couldn't be food, nor does it resemble a conventional tool..."

Koheko stared at the packet of alkali powder, her eyes sharp as a scanner: "In the logic of the locked room, the appearance of any 'useless thing' is itself the biggest anomaly. Since it was provided, it must have its 'place.' Perhaps its use is more hidden than the black dog blood, connected to a deeper mechanism or danger."

She carefully put away the alkali powder as well. "Take it with me. My intuition tells me that this thing... might become crucial at an unexpected moment."

"Yes, sir!" Koe Saburo obeyed unconditionally. He had an almost religious trust in Koe Kazuko's judgment; countless near-death experiences had already proven that following her intuition was often the way to survival.

Soon, the two put on their diving equipment, took some black dog blood and strong alkali, and went into the water.

The two continued downhill and soon found the Zhang family's old house.

Looking down at the Zhang family's old house, Koei Saburo was somewhat surprised.

"This is way too easy! It's supposed to be Nightmare difficulty, how could we find it so easily?"

Koeko looked at it carefully for a while, "Zhang Family Ancient Building, Zhang Family Ancient Building, Building..."

She repeated these words over and over, as if she had caught a key difference in the word, a thoughtful glint in her eyes.

Just then, a green light flashed by in the distance and went straight into a house.

The two were instantly drawn to the green light.

Koei Saburo hurriedly drew his pistol. "What is that? Could the disappearance of my brothers be related to that green light?"

Koeko, skilled and daring, said, "Let's go take a look!"

"Hi!"

The two swam over immediately and soon arrived at the room where Koeichiro had died.

Seeing that Koeko was also attracted by the green light, Yamamoto Ichiro and the others became nervous.

Although he spoke with great bravado, he couldn't help but feel nervous when he actually arrived. After all, that forbidden woman was indeed strange and difficult to deal with, and he was afraid that Gu Huihezi might be caught off guard and suffer a setback.

The representatives of Great Xia were full of anticipation.

If the Forbidden Woman can really stop Koeko and kill the last two, then she will win the resurrection match.

If we win this match, there will be endless possibilities. Maybe, Da Xia can turn things around completely.

The entire venue was completely silent, and it seemed that only Zhang Qilin remained calm throughout, as if he didn't take it seriously at all.

"Damn it, why is this guy so calm? Does he really have a backup plan? Or is he just pretending?" Yamamoto Ichiro couldn't figure out Zhang Qilin either.

……

Koeko immediately noticed the handprint next to the door frame and frowned.

Koe Saburo's expression changed drastically. "Baka! How can there be a woman's handprint? And it looks like it was just made here. Could there be an NPC here? But the rules of the Secret Chamber stipulate that regular NPCs must not attack or kill explorers on their own initiative...!"

"Black dog blood, a woman's handprint, green light... Oh my, this is interesting. I think I understand something. Genius! Zhang Qilin, who designed this secret room, is indeed a genius. History, the supernatural, hehe, it seems they don't conflict at all!" Koheko murmured, her eyes revealing a light that seemed to see through everything.

"Ghosts? Miss Kazuko, are you saying that there are ghosts in this historical escape room? How is that possible? It's never happened before. Isn't this against the rules?" Koe Saburo was somewhat incredulous.

After all, they had conquered many historical escape rooms before and were very experienced.

Gu Huihe said, "Hehe, that's where Zhang Qilin's brilliance lies. Who says there can't be ghosts in historical themes? The rules only stipulate that everything in the secret room must conform to real history, but who says there are no ghosts in real history? Zhang Qilin's brilliance lies in his use of the 'gray areas' in the rule text, or rather, he has redefined our understanding of the scope of 'historical' materials."

As an explorer, I sometimes understand escape rooms and rules better than designers.

Because, in order to survive and to break out of the locked room, one must understand the rules and utilize them.

"This..." Koe Saburo was speechless for a moment, as he had never thought of this before.

"I knew it! With Da Lang and Er Lang's skills, ordinary traps wouldn't be able to stop them. But if there are ghosts or monsters, they could easily fall victim if caught off guard!" Koeko said. "You stay here, I'll go in and take a look!"

As she spoke, she took out the black dog blood, opened the door, and went inside.

Upon hearing Gu Huihezi's words and analysis, the morale that the Great Xia side had just raised was instantly crushed. No one had expected that Gu Huihezi's experience was so extensive.

Not only is she exceptionally capable, but she also possesses terrifying insight, analytical skills, and a profound understanding of the essence of the rules! Before even engaging in a formal confrontation, she had already almost grasped the core logic of Zhang Qilin's design based solely on subtle clues!

Such a powerful opponent put immense pressure on the people of Daxia.

……