Multiple Solutions

After repeated experimentation, Zhong Yi had already discovered the most basic way to clear the level.

Conceal his position, wait for the right moment, and strike a fatal blow when the guards were isolated.

Silently infiltrate all the way to the final boss room.

However, he had also found a more interesting solution.

It all started when Zhong Yi pondered the wonders of the illusion realm and recalled the bustling town outside.

After reloading his save, instead of rushing to complete the mission, he had a sudden idea and wandered around the town a few more times.

Aside from the tavern where quests were accepted, there were many other interactive locations.

For example, the underground black market where one could craft items or purchase tools.

After some research, he was immediately captivated by the bizarre array of items available there.

If brute force wasn’t an option, then victory would have to come through wit.

In other words—assassination.

Poisoning, setting traps, laying formations…

Every method an assassin might use could be found here.

At this point, Zhong Yi’s reputation in the black market was still low, so the items and tools he could unlock were fairly basic.

Thus, he chose the method least dependent on reputation—

Poison.

The blowpipe in his hand and the packet of silver-gray powder were the results of his careful research.

"Junior Brother Lu’s illusion realm is quite fascinating… There must be multiple ways to clear this level!"

Zhong Yi explained with a smile before sneaking over to a ventilation shaft.

This was the ventilation shaft of Zhang San’s central pavilion, a heavily guarded core area of the mission.

He placed the blowpipe into the shaft and blew the silver-gray powder inside.

Soon, the guards nearest to the ventilation shaft collapsed one after another.

Zhong Yi swaggered through the door and continued his explanation: "But… poisoning isn’t as easy as it seems."

No sooner had he spoken than the sound of ringing bells echoed from nearby, and the entire estate went on high alert.

Guards quickly surrounded Zhong Yi from all directions.

"Basic poison isn’t odorless or tasteless… and its potency is lacking, so someone will always notice in time."

Zhong Yi calmly explained before being cut down by the guards’ blades and respawning at the save point.

"Then I realized something else—"

He pointed at the sun overhead.

"Right now… it’s lunchtime."

This time, using stealth, he made his way to the estate’s kitchen.

A chef, having just returned from the restroom, was hurrying back to work.

Zhong Yi delivered a swift chop to the back of his neck, knocking him out, then quickly donned the man’s clothes and strode into the kitchen with feigned confidence.

"Add a drop of this deadly [Black Death Liquid] to the food, and then…"

With a chuckle, Zhong Yi dripped a vial of dark-green liquid into the pot of rice and waited.

Before long, specialized inspectors arrived to test the food for poison.

Unsurprisingly, Zhong Yi was exposed and executed on the spot.

Back at the save point again, he was already used to it and continued cheerfully explaining:

"Every dish is tested for poison…"

"And ordinary poison can’t incapacitate everyone at once."

"At this point, someone’s bound to ask: ‘Streamer, streamer, I really love poisoning—are there any other ways to clear the level with poison?’"

"Well, yes, there are."

With that, Zhong Yi pulled out a packet of powder and a small bag of dried fruit from his inventory.

"These are Scarlet Flame Fruits—spicy and crispy, perfect for soup bases."

"And this is Withering Green Powder—odorless, tasteless, and medicinal, but extremely cold in nature."

"Used separately, they’re both great… but combined, they clash and produce a new effect."

Clapping his hands together, Zhong Yi couldn’t contain his excitement as he proudly declared:

"In short, it becomes an extremely potent…"

"Laxative."

After the explanation, he immediately put it into practice.

Just like before, he intercepted the unlucky chef, infiltrated the kitchen, and added the Scarlet Flame Fruits to the soup.

As expected, the large pot of soup passed inspection without issue—its enticing aroma even tempted the inspectors to take a sip.

Then, Zhong Yi returned to the ventilation shaft.

Taking a deep breath, he blew the entire packet of Withering Green Powder inside.

Propelled by a specialized poison-dispersing technique, the odorless powder quickly spread throughout the central pavilion.

Before long, the guards’ stomachs began making strange noises…

Soon, they were all scrambling for the restrooms.

The staircase to the top floor was left completely unguarded.

"See? Without killing a single person, we can freely ascend to the top floor."

Zhong Yi smugly stepped out of the shadows and swaggered up the stairs.

This was the perfect strategy he had devised after countless deaths and thorough analysis.

The livestream chat erupted in shock.

[Damn, I never thought of clearing it like this!!]

[Poisoning, huh? Heh… I think I have a better method…]

[What if we set traps in the restrooms so these guys die while taking a dump and contribute some EXP?]

[???]

[Brother, stop talking nonsense! We’re supposed to be the righteous faction!!!]

[So flashy… you could’ve just killed them all in that time.]

[You’re missing the point… this kind of creative solution is way more fun than mindless slaughter.]

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…

"You’re all right. Junior Brother Lu’s illusion realm is brilliantly designed. The same mission can be cleared in many ways—feel free to experiment with your own ideas."

Zhong Yi pushed open the door to the top-floor pavilion with a smile.

The moment the door opened, he tilted his head sharply to the left.

A crossbow bolt grazed past his hair.

The chat exploded again.

[Holy shit! Since when did Zhong Yi have reflexes like this?]

[Oh no, the streamer’s been practicing off-camera!]

[My idol has fallen!!]

[LMAO, this guy’s clearly been killed by that door trap before—now he’s reloading just to show off…]

…

Unfazed by the chat’s teasing, Zhong Yi continued without missing a beat.

He had practiced that head-tilt move dozens of times before daring to stream it.

Zhang San, the leader of the Black Serpent Gang, was pathetically weak.

Zhong Yi subdued him effortlessly and finished him off.

Facing the terrified woman cowering in the room, Zhong Yi frowned.

"I—I didn’t see anything… nothing at all…"

The woman scrambled for the door, and Zhong Yi didn’t stop her.

In fact, after letting her go, his behavior score quietly increased by two points.

"Oh, right… Li Ang doesn’t kill women or children."

Muttering to himself, he began rummaging through Zhang San’s room.

By now, the pavilion was in complete chaos.

Using stealth repeatedly to avoid detection, Zhong Yi finally found the hidden quest item in the basement—the Black Serpent Gang’s ledger.

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