After breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing went to the bathroom to wash up, then returned to his room, opened his laptop, and began writing the strategy guide.
From a purely financial perspective, selling the strategy guide privately would undoubtedly be the most lucrative option. The official rewards wouldn't be substantial, ranging from a few hundred thousand to a million yuan at most.
But some things can't be measured in money, such as Merit Points.
Merit Points grant access to official resources, privileged information, promotion opportunities, and official assistance—benefits money can't buy.
Moreover, since the Officials had provided strategy guides for his two S-rank spirit realms, it was only right to return the favor.
Zhang Yuanqing's fingers flew across the keyboard:
[ Jinshui Amusement Park Strategy Guide ]
[ Number: 6203 ]
[ Difficulty Level: S ]
[ Type: Multiplayer Spirit Realm (Death-Type) ]
[ Main Quest: Complete two or more amusement park attractions. ]
[ The first attraction I played was the roller coaster. The strategy guide remains unchanged: closing your eyes during the ride allows for a flawless completion. However, the reality is far more complex than it seems. I'll elaborate later. ]
[ Unlike the old version, the new amusement park features a "series" system. The roller coaster belongs to the "Heart-Pounding" series, which includes the following attractions: Roller Coaster—Underground Parking Garage—Haunted House (Ghost Marriage)—Detective Reasoning Hall. ]
[ Underground Parking Garage Main Quest: Remember, when evading the Autobots, all team members should ideally travel in a single vehicle to minimize time wasted. When drawing cards, prioritize finding a lucky player; those with bad luck should avoid taking risks, as it could lead to a team wipe. ]
[ Haunted House: The most terrifying scenario in the Amusement Park, now featuring Marriage Invitation and Betrothal Gift segments. Female Spirit Realm Walkers, take note: when filling out the Marriage Invitation, do NOT mark your gender as female; doing so guarantees death. The betrothal gifts are medicinal wine, a wedding quilt, a golden hairpin, and a weighing scale, each corresponding to a Vengeful Spirit. The solution is... ]
[ Warning: The betrothal gift segment forces player elimination. Beware of teammates turning on each other. ]
[ Warning: During the Ghost Bride's groom selection, Nightwalkers are guaranteed to die! I escaped from beneath the Ghost Bride's pomegranate skirt solely due to my innate handsomeness and extraordinary presence, which captivated the Vengeful Spirit. This divinely bestowed beauty is beyond human attainment; those lacking it should not attempt to emulate me. But don't panic—I have a method to bypass this death trap. The solution lies in the second stage: the Underground Parking Garage. ]
[ Detective Reasoning Hall Strategy: ]
[ Jinshui Amusement Park Hidden Quest: After observing the Detective Reasoning Hall process, you should gain insight into the hidden quest. ]
[ Current Instance Role Assignment Mechanism: The exact mechanism for assigning roles in this Instance remains unclear. However, our team includes an Evildoer who is actually a Neutral. I suspect that the assignment of Moles and Evildoers isn't based on class, but rather on human nature. ]
After finishing the strategy guide, Zhang Yuanqing carefully reviewed it before sending it to Li Dongze's email.
As he watched the "Sent Successfully" notification, a thought struck him:
"Xie Lingxi, that little brat, managed to get her hands on the old version of the guide. That means she's either an Official or deeply connected to them. A simple investigation would reveal my identity—no, my Spirit Realm ID."
The purpose of Spirit Realm Walkers using IDs was precisely to have a public alias, making it easier to establish themselves in the Spirit Realm world. As such, this layer of identity was rarely kept secret.
For example, when Primordial Heavenly Venerable cleared the She Ling Tunnel, the feat spread throughout the Five Elements Alliance and Taiyi Sect. Everyone agreed he showed great potential, but what did that have to do with Zhang Yuanqing?
This time, after clearing the S-Rank Mission, the Five Elements Alliance would likely publicize his achievements, even promoting his name to showcase the organization's abundance of talent.
Of course, the publicity would be limited to his Spirit Realm ID; any real-world information would be classified at a higher security level.
With just a little digging, Xie Lingxi could discover that her "Brother Wang Tai" was actually a con artist named "Primordial Heavenly Venerable."
"If she has Official connections, then so be it. It doesn't matter. I've dealt with Official Walkers plenty of times, but only under the Primordial Heavenly Venerable alias."
Zhang Yuanqing closed his email and opened the Official Forum on his phone.
He was immediately struck by a sensational post:
Shocking! Jinshui Amusement Park Has Been Conquered! The Conqueror Is... This Person!
Zhang Yuanqing startled, thinking, I've only been back for a few hours, and they've already dug me up?
Clicking on the post, he realized it was about Riverlord. Before entering the Spirit Realm, Riverlord had followed protocol and notified his superiors. After a grueling night, his superiors and colleagues were overjoyed to find him had returned.
The local officials erupted in excitement, and the news spread like wildfire among Spirit Realm Walkers in the city, its fervor akin to a village celebrating a student's acceptance to the Capital City University.
[ The Bitter Past: Where's the guide? Is the guide finished? I already submitted my application using points, but the Deacon replied that there's no new version in the database. ]
[ Ample Time Ahead: No new guide indeed. I just checked the database. @Riverlord ]
Initially, the Official Spirit Realm Walkers were ecstatic, showering Riverlord of Yan Province with lavish praise.
But as the praise continued without an updated guide or any response from Riverlord, confusion set in. Soon, doubts about the post's authenticity began to surface.
[ The Sick Emperor: Spreading rumors? You want a beating? Believe me, I'll bring my brothers and take the high-speed rail to Yan City to knock your whole branch down. @Riverlord ]
After a barrage of bickering, accusations, and relentless @ mentions, Riverlord finally revealed his story.
[ Riverlord: I did clear Jinshui Amusement Park. The reward was 18% experience, which is quite generous. ]
[ The Bitter Past: Strategy? Strategy? ]
Seeming reluctant to speak, Riverlord remained silent for several minutes before finally replying:
[ Riverlord: None. ]
What?
Just as the Official Walkers on the forum began to feel mocked, Riverlord posted again:
[ Riverlord: I only took a hit for someone else, then died, and then cleared the spirit realm. So I have no strategy to share. You might find it unbelievable—how could an S-rank spirit realm be so simple? But that's just one of the ways Jinshui Amusement Park works. I can't share the specifics on the forum. The expert who carried me through should have a complete strategy, but he doesn't seem to be affiliated with the Officials. I can tell you his name. ]
Riverlord cleared the spirit realm while lying down? Who was this compassionate, all-seeing figure? What kind of person could pull off such a feat?
[ The Bitter Past: Who is it?! Tell us now! ]
The Bitter Past and several other Official Walkers who were about to enter the spirit realm were the most eager.
[ Riverlord: I only know his name is Wang Tai. We didn't interact much, so I don't know much about him. ]
[ [Li Dongze: ???] ]
[ [Guan Ya: ???] ]
[ [Green Vine: ???] ]
[ [White Dragon: ???] ]
The others began discussing who Wang Tai was, surprised they had never heard of him. Some tried @ing Wang Tai and discovered the ID actually existed.
[ [Please Call Me Queen: Oh, he's one of our Officials! That's great!] ]
After relentless summoning by the group, Wang Tai finally appeared.
[ [Wang Tai: I didn't do it. It wasn't me. Stop spreading rumors. But I know who did it. His name is Primordial Heavenly Venerable.] ]
[ [The Bitter Past: Primordial Heavenly Venerable? What an imposing name! No wonder he's so exceptional. Who is he?] ]
[ [The Sick Emperor: That name sounds familiar...] ]
[ [White Dragon: I know him! He's the Nightwalker who cleared the She Ling Tunnel. That dog Li Dongze kidnapped him and forced him to become his subordinate. I've just decided to rescue him from this misery.] ]
Her words triggered a collective realization among the forum members. They remembered the novice who had cleared the She Ling Tunnel over two weeks ago, a feat that had briefly made him famous.
[ [The Bitter Past: It's him? Excellent! As long as he's one of our Officials, that's all that matters. What we fear most is Wild Spirit Realm Walkers completing the guide, followed by those Taiyi Sect guys.] ]
Only strategies developed by our own people can be obtained at minimal cost. There's a clear difference between our strategies and those of others.
[ Queen: It's him! Speaking of which, he's also a Nightwalker. Fortunately, the Five Elements Alliance recruited him. Hmm, I suddenly remembered a popular saying on the Taiyi Sect forum lately: "Elder Sun is so confused!" ]
[ Riverlord: So his name is Primordial Heavenly Venerable. ]
[ The Sick Emperor: So this kid—no, this Older Brother—has cleared two S-rank spirit realms? ]
Such a talent might soon become a rising star within the Five Elements Alliance.
Let Elder Sun off the hook! No, let Captain Yuan off the hook! Elder Sun will beat him to death.
Zhang Yuanqing exited the forum, satisfied. He put away his phone, pushed back from the table, and walked over to lock the door.
Next, he opened a drawer and retrieved the Cat King Speaker.
This troublesome item couldn't be stored in his Inventory and had to be carried at all times. After returning from the spirit realm, he'd tossed the speaker into the drawer.
"Bing Ge said he left everything in the Cat King Speaker. The item does have recording capabilities, as we verified in the Haunted House. So, to find out what Bing Ge left behind, we need to make it talk."
Zhang Yuanqing cradled the black metal speaker in his palm, lost in thought.
The Cat King Speaker had only two buttons: one for drumbeats and the other for a suona. Both sounds possessed a strange power, making it unwise to test them in a residential building lest innocent bystanders be affected.
Moreover, even pressing the buttons might not yield any information.
"When it revealed information in the Haunted House, it did so automatically. I didn't press any buttons then. Does that mean getting information from the Cat King Speaker is purely random?"
Zhang Yuanqing frowned in thought. Suddenly, he recalled how this troublesome artifact had displayed an unnatural survival instinct when facing the Ghost Bride, far beyond what a mere tool should possess.
"That's right! The Cat King's soul is sealed within this speaker. Like the Red Dancing Shoes, it's an artifact with its own will. And where there's will, there's communication."
Having realized this, Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat.
"Cat King, you're with me now. Good times are ahead—plenty of food and drink. I need your help with something. Do you have any records about the demon lord?"
He had initially wanted to ask about Bing Ge, but the Cat King wouldn't know who that was, and Zhang Yuanqing didn't know Bing Ge's Spirit Realm ID.
The black metal speaker remained unresponsive.
"Refusing a toast? Fine, you'll drink the penalty shot then."
Still no response.
After repeated attempts at persuasion failed, Zhang Yuanqing flew into a rage. He tossed the speaker into the trash can and unbuckled his belt.
"Fine, if you won't show me any mercy, neither will I. Prepare to taste the essence of a virgin's broth!"
Just as he was about to retrieve the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle and drain the Sea Eye, the Cat King Speaker, trapped in the trash can, emitted a crackling electrical sound.
There's hope!
Zhang Yuanqing's heart leaped with joy. The next moment, a bizarre audio clip echoed through the room:
"Ah~ ahh~ mmm~ mmm~ ah. Be gentle."
A woman's soft moans and a man's heavy panting filled the room in surround sound.
What's going on? Zhang Yuanqing's face went blank, a string of question marks flashing through his mind.
Immediately afterward, the bedroom door was pounded violently, and Grandmother's furious roar erupted:
"Zhang Yuanqing, what are you doing in there?! The noise is reaching downstairs! How embarrassing! Open the door, you little brat! I'm going to beat you to death today!"
Grandmother, let me explain! Zhang Yuanqing, his spirit crushed, reached out toward the door, grasping at the air as if trying to salvage their lost bond.
Wait, the Night Roaming Skill can eliminate all sound! He quickly bent down, retrieved the Cat King Speaker from the trash can, and entered Night Roaming State.
The illusory Lunar Power exploded outward, enveloping him, and Zhang Yuanqing's figure vanished completely.
In an instant, the lewd sounds vanished from the room, lingering only in Zhang Yuanqing's ears.
Grandmother stubbornly pounded on the door for a long time. When the noise stopped and she assumed her grandson was feigning death, she hurled a final threat and stormed off:
"I'll deal with you when you come out."
Huff. Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, with a low growl from the man, all sound vanished.
A few seconds later, a young but hoarse voice spoke:
"I've slept with countless women, but the ones from your Goddess of Beauty Association are the most satisfying. No wonder you control love and desire."
A soft, sweet voice with a hint of rasp replied:
"Demon Lord, it's Betty's honor to serve you. When will you leave this country? Would you accompany me to meet the President? Our President has been eager to meet you."
The woman's pronunciation was slightly awkward, suggesting she was foreign.
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing froze. The earlier suggestive sounds weren't the Cat King Speaker playing tricks on him; they were a recording of a past conversation.
The protagonists were the Demon Lord and a foreign woman.
Zhang Yuanqing's spirits lifted. He perked up his ears, eager to hear the rest of the conversation.