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

Dust rained down from the ceiling, and countless pebbles pelted Shen Xingzhuo.

The ancestral hall is about to collapse!

Shen Xingzhuo quickly adjusted his breathing to recover, silently chanting the Golden Light Mantra. A wisp of golden light emanated powerful energy, forcefully supporting the space.

【Chosen Ones, cease your futile resistance!】

[The final punishment has been generated; the annihilation process has officially begun!]

[10, 9, 8, 7...]

The countdown echoed coldly in the space, and the comments section erupted in uproar.

I was just about to praise the Tianxia Kingdom's Commander-in-Chief for his "divine rescue," but it seems he ended up "losing more than he gained!"

[Hahaha, I've disliked the Tianxia Kingdom for a long time!]

[Me too! I didn't dare say anything before, but they're just using Shen Xingzhuo's abilities to extort resources from our country. I want to see how smug they'll be after Shen Xingzhuo dies!]

Long-suppressed mockery from other countries surged forth.

The people of Tianxia Kingdom were instantly enraged!

I've seen people who curse others after putting down their bowls, but this kind of fool who dares to throw stones at people on the other side of the river when he's still in the mud himself is truly an eye-opener!

[Now that the ghost fog has dissipated, you think you're all invincible? If you're so capable, make a contract so you won't be begging our country to sell you walkthrough answers anymore!]

[By the time Sister Shen soloed SS+, your Chosen One's grave must be overgrown with weeds, right? Let your people crawl out of the C-rank ghost story alive before you start barking!]

[Hilarious! You're all so quick to criticize now, but last time when we were begging to buy Sister Shen's talismans, you were the ones who knelt down the fastest.]

[We suggest you save your typing energy, my friend. Save it up so that when something supernatural happens in your house—you might be able to run faster!]

The people of Tianxia have never lost when it comes to protecting their own and satirizing others.

Shen Xingzhuo was unaware that the people she was protecting were engaged in a heated debate for her sake. If she had known, given her personality, she would definitely have put on a big show for these lovely people.

The countdown to the ghost story continues.

"Wait a moment!"

Shen Xingzhuo let out a clear shout, his voice, imbued with spiritual power, as heavy as a thousand pounds.

The countdown to the ghost story paused for a fleeting, almost imperceptible moment, just as it was about to resume, when it was interrupted by Shen Xingzhuo's even more forceful voice.

"Before carrying out any so-called punishment, I have three questions!"

She spoke quickly and clearly without waiting for a response.

"First question: Was the authority to open the National Fortune Exchange Shop at any time officially granted to me and Team Leader Guan by you?!"

The voice of the ghost murmured for a long time before finally uttering a mumbled "Yes."

Shen Xingzhu calmed his breathing, suppressed his churning blood, and continued to ask:

"Second question: Is the Tianxia Kingdom the only one in the entire interstellar space to have the authority to open the National Fortune Exchange Shop?!"

"……yes."

"Third question!" Shen Xingzhuo's voice was filled with pride. "Is this the first time since the arrival of the supernatural tales that Captain Guan has delivered the potion to me through store channels—an unprecedented and unique situation?!"

From the void, a sound of grinding teeth seemed to echo.

Immediately following was a clear, clenched-teeth reply: "Yes."

Shen Xingzhuo slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, a cold smile blooming on his face.

"Since this is the first time this has happened to either of us..." she deliberately drew out the word, "and you've never clearly outlined the rules for using the National Fortune Value Exchange Shop, then on what basis do you judge that Captain Guan and I violated the rules?!"

Shen Xingzhuo's voice was strong and clear.

The ghost story left them speechless.

One can't help but wonder if the Taoist priest really has a way of warding it off.

How come it, which is always successful, always falls into Shen Xingzhuo's hands?

It was unwilling to admit defeat, and thus maintained a facade of strength while remaining inwardly prudent.

"...This is sophistry! Even if there are procedural disputes, the fact that you relied on external force to interfere cannot be denied. For the sake of fairness, you must pay the price."

Shen Xingzhu scoffed inwardly: 'They're even playing this trick of escaping the death penalty but not escaping punishment?'

She remained expressionless, calmly crossing her arms and quietly awaiting the new decision of the ghost story.

"Now, immediately reclaim Runyu, the chosen one Shen Xingzhuo's destined companion, as the price for your overstepping of authority!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Xingzhuo paused for a moment, which was rare, and then chuckled softly.

"what ever."

She uttered two words lightly.

"??"

The ghost story was stunned.

"You...you're not going to try to negotiate with me?"

Shen Xingzhu shrugged indifferently and said, "Anyway, she doesn't seem to be of much use right now. I have plenty of maids in my household, so I don't need another one."

The will in the void was speechless at this unconventional reaction.

Not only did the expected panic and negotiations not materialize, but the other party was even quite willing.

Its mind was in turmoil.

Shen Xingzhuo, on the other hand, silently confronts the ghost stories.

She knew in her heart that Runyu, as the one destined for greatness, represented absolute loyalty and potential value through her deep bond with her, which was quite precious in the midst of the perilous tales.

But she knew even better that she couldn't show the slightest concern at this moment.

Once the ghost stories discover that she is "acting," there will be no turning back, and Runyu will be immediately taken back, becoming a real bargaining chip to blackmail her.

"So? Are you going to accept it or not?"

The strange tales remain silent, the strange tales depart.

The signs of collapse ceased, and Shen Xingzhuo withdrew his protective golden light.

The shadow cast by Shen Xingzhuo's long eyelashes obscured her thoughts.

She didn't go to see Runyu immediately, but instead began to clean up the mess on the ground.

During her brief meeting with Guan Shanyue at the National Fortune Store, besides drinking the potion, she also obtained a crucial piece of information from him:

Her pain stemmed from childbirth!

But there was one thing she just couldn't understand.

These fleshy lumps all came into this world through her childbirth.

She had already experienced the pain of childbirth once, so why did she have to go through it again after her child was devoured by Pei Xi?

Just then, Pei Xi, seeing that her mother was unhappy, took small steps and walked over to her side, looking at her expectantly.

Its cool little hands hugged Shen Xingzhuo's arm, and it rubbed its cheek against hers, full of affection.

"Mother, it doesn't hurt... Xi'er will hug you and it won't hurt anymore..."

Shen Xingzhuo noticed that its skin color seemed less bluish-purple than before, and its speech was much clearer than before.

"My sister is bad!"

"As long as my little sister isn't born, Mother won't be in pain!"

Shen Xingzhuo's pupils dilated in shock upon hearing its words, "Sister?!"

She gently grasped Pei Xi's shoulders, looked into his eyes, and asked, "Xi'er, you just said... sister?"

"Which sister? How do you know it's your sister?"

Her tone was somewhat urgent.

Pei Xi blinked, as if startled, a hint of grievance in her eyes.

"A sister is a sister."

"The one in the red ball... Xi'er doesn't like her!"

"As long as she's not born, Mommy belongs to Xi'er alone! Everything belongs to Xi'er alone!"

He buried his little head deep in Shen Xingzhuo's arms.

A gust of cold wind, seemingly from nowhere, swept through the hall, dispelling the fog in Shen Xingzhuo's mind.

Shen Xingzhuo deciphered two of the rules of yin and yang.

Rule Three: [You will only give birth to boys, who will be the future heirs of the Pei family.]

Rule Four: [You must dress your child as a girl; only then can you get through this safely...]

All the previously vague clues are now frantically reassembling.

Pei Xi's repeated mention of "younger sister" proves that the first half of Rule Three is false.

She didn't only give birth to boys!

Therefore, the issue of succession is worth considering.

Is the heir to the Pei family only male, or do girls also have the right to inherit?

Shen Xingzhuo pressed her palms together, Pei Xi's last words echoing in her mind.

She didn't think it was just a child's jealous remark.

A child's words and actions are actually a projection of the behavior of those around them.

She had previously assumed that, in ghost stories, the strange creatures grew faster than normal humans.

However, they overlooked Pei Xi's abnormal growth rate.

Rather than growing up, Pei Xi seems to have grown up all over again; its intelligence far surpasses its appearance.

Therefore, when he said those words, it must have been a manifestation of the will of some elder...

Shen Xingzhuo gently patted Pei Xi's back, took out a longevity lock that had been hanging on the curtain from his bosom, and put it next to Pei Xi's own longevity lock.

Pei Xi's previous words were clearly directed at him.

If the birth of his "sister" could truly pose such a threat to him, then it means—

My younger sister is the rightful heir to the Pei family!

This verifies the hidden meaning of Rule Four.

Only by appearing as a girl can one meet the requirements of family succession; and only a future heir truly recognized by the family can avoid some unknown danger!

The rules of yang obscure the truth, while the laws of yin hint at a way out.

Only when yin and yang are in harmony can a truly correct rule be formed.

You have both a boy and a girl, and the girl is the future heir of the Pei family!

You are a mother; you must ensure that all your children live well!

As for why she experienced the pain of childbirth again...

Some people taught Pei Xi to see his younger sister as a thorn in his side, so naturally he didn't want her to be born safely...