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

Shen Xingzhuo's eyes were filled with interest.

This is the first time in the ghost story series that a character whose fate resonates with hers has appeared.

In the simplest terms, the appearance of the Destiny filled the void left by the ban on puppet dolls.

But if we want to delve into its deeper meaning...

Shen Xingzhuo, through the supernatural tale's description of the Destiny—"This character will be inextricably linked to your current choices and subsequent trajectory"—felt a possibility:

"A butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas a month later."

The Butterfly Effect!

It matches the butterfly mark on the back of her hand perfectly!

But this is just a suggestion; how exactly this butterfly will flap its wings will depend on the subsequent plot.

After all, the Destiny is a "person" with living characteristics.

How and when to use it still needs careful consideration.

Shen Xingzhu pressed her palms together and calmly began to regulate her breathing to recover her weak postpartum body.

……

Meanwhile, Guan Shanyue, who was watching the sky outside the ghost stories, shared the same thoughts as her.

From the moment she saw the Destiny appear, she had a vague sense of something.

Everything that happens after the ghost story begins will not be a coincidence.

Aside from the sudden appearance of the destined one, the only unexpected thing was the number of people online in real time displayed on the sky.

Guan Shanyue looked over and saw that it only displayed a 1.

This means that Shen Xingzhuo is currently the only chosen one in "Guanyin Brocade".

But she meticulously examined the celestial dome of other countries and retrieved energy monitoring data. Although the images were all completely black, the life signals representing the chosen ones had begun to light up one after another.

The number of online users has not been updated yet for some unknown reason.

However, she doesn't need to draw a conclusion immediately.

Because the strange tales of ranking manipulation in Tianxia Kingdom are already prepared.

The newly recruited members of the Huaxu Squad are still training hard.

Team leaders like Lu Qianling and Su Anyu are already prepared to enter the ranking legends to obtain more resources for Tianxia Kingdom.

This time, the story of the ranking manipulation is a C-level mystery.

This is the lowest known difficulty level. The rules are relatively simple yet strange, and the intensity is limited, making it perfect as a testing ground for newcomers.

This C-level ghost story is called "The Dream of the Android".

When Guan Shanyue first saw this topic, he also breathed a sigh of relief.

This is unlike the "Guanyin Brocade" that Shen Xingzhuo entered, which is not only highly difficult, but also takes place in an era that is least familiar to them, the interstellar people.

Guan Shanyue dares to guarantee that, apart from Shen Xingzhuo and those who are familiar with history, any interstellar person who enters "Guanyin Brocade" will fail because of the murderous intent that Pei's mother seeks out after the child is born in the ancestral hall.

She snapped out of her reverie, looked at the ready-to-go members of the Huaxu team, and walked to the front of the line.

Her gaze swept over each young, tense face.

He raised his voice and said, "The difference between the Ranking Manipulator and the Chosen One Ghost Story is that you can know the background information of the ghost story in advance."

"This is a good thing for us, at least it allows us to make some preparations in advance."

"The strange tale you are about to enter is called 'The Dream of the Androids,' and the story is set in the pre-apocalyptic era of AI rebellion."

"After you entered the ghost story, your identities were as pets kept by AI. Because you didn't need to work for a long time, you were provided with plenty of water and food. The limbs of the pets have almost degenerated, and you can only walk with the help of special tools. You were living a very comfortable life until your brain was accidentally connected to the brain of an AI."

"That was a magnificent world you had never seen before. And so, for the first time, you began to doubt your own identity."

"But the AI ​​humans who are raising you are very good to you, which makes it difficult for you to make the choice to escape."

"Until... the AI ​​world was suddenly infected with a very serious virus. And the source of that virus was actually an ordinary human being."

"What you have to do is unlock the whole truth of the matter—that is, figure out why human viruses can infect AI."

Guan Shanyue straightened his expression and continued, "Our technology is far superior to that of the AI ​​Rebellion Era, so before making any judgments, we must remember to adhere to the logic of our time!"

Su Anyu raised her hand and said, "I know! Just like Sister Shen playing a young lady from a noble family in 'Guanyin Brocade'!"

Guan Shanyue nodded in satisfaction.

"I'll give you one last piece of advice—don't underestimate your enemy."

Although it's only a C-level ghost story, you still need to observe carefully and not easily trust the characters in the ghost stories; if you really can't think of a way to avoid danger... then, survival is the priority.

"Find a safe place to hide, and then wait for the ghost story to end."

Guan Shanyue spoke solemnly.

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw several children solemnly salute her.

"Don't worry, Captain Guan, we will definitely come back alive!" Lu Qianling's voice was gentle but firm.

Looking at the light in the children's eyes, Guan Shanyue felt a mix of emotions.

[WARNING: The chart-topping mystery game "The Dream of the Androids" will start in 30 seconds. Participants, please take your positions.]

A cold, impersonal notification sound rang out.

Guan Shanyue took a step back, his eyes bright: "I'll be waiting for your triumphant return!"

The dazzling white light carried away the figures of the 10 people.

After the bright light faded, Guan Shanyue adjusted his breathing, turned around resolutely, and returned to the command room.

……

At this time, the strange tale of "Guanyin Brocade" was being told.

Shen Xingzhuo had already bathed and burned incense. Together with Runyu, he led Pei Xi and the eight fleshy balls to the ancestral hall.

Nothing strange happened along the way, except that all the servants screamed and ran away when they saw them.

Stepping into the ancestral hall, the air was filled with the comforting scent of aged incense that had seeped into the wood.

The hall was dimly lit, illuminated only by a few ever-burning lamps and the natural light filtering in from the windows.

The dragon and phoenix pillars on both sides are hidden in the shadows, and although they are guards protecting the peace of the ancestral hall, they cast distorted shadows.

Granny Yang stood by the door with her hands hanging down, her face flickering in the candlelight.

"Young Miss, the scriptures, writing brush, ink, and prayer mat have all been prepared according to regulations." Her voice echoed in the empty ancestral hall.

Then a bowl of dark, medicinal soup was handed to him.

The sweet, fishy smell in the medicinal soup, identical to that on Pei's father, made Shen Xingzhuo frown and take a half step back.

Granny Yang's hoarse voice rang out: "This calming soup was specially ordered by Madam to be brewed by this old servant. It uses ginseng that is over a hundred years old. Madam also specifically instructed that you must drink it while it's hot."

Shen Xingzhuo's gaze fell on the medicinal soup that had been presented to her that evening, its surface strangely covered with a layer of eerie oily sheen.

He couldn't help but think to himself, "Every ancient creature in the mountains and marshes, after a hundred years of wind and dew, develops a wisp of spirit. To take it as medicine is to sever its hundred years of cultivation! To drink it will taint one with indelible karma."

"That old woman is extremely malicious!"

Shen Xingzhuo took another half step back, looking at Granny Yang with a forced smile.

"Thank you for your trouble, Mother and Granny."

She reached out and took the medicine bowl, her fingertips touching the warm surface of the bowl.

Shen Xingzhuo made a gesture as if he were drinking.

Looking up through the cover of the medicine bowl, I saw that Granny Yang's face was practically blooming with a strange smile.

……