Employee Manual

"Things don't look good. No matter which path we take, a bloody calamity awaits." Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the Palace Master with a grave expression. In the portents of Star Physiognomy, a bloody calamity signified mortal danger—the highest tier of crisis. If it had merely been an overcast shadow, there would be a risk of injury, but no threat to life. "This is a Dominator-tier rule-based item, so facing mortal peril is only natural." The Palace Master's voice was soft, melodious, and perfectly calm, carrying not the slightest hint of gravity. She pointed toward the path marked 'No Trespassing.' "The tracks lead this way. We have to take this path." "I know, I know..." Zhang Yuanqing responded in rapid succession, raising his head to gaze into the deep night sky. "Let me read the stars. The vast heavens will grant us revelation." Among the various classes, there were three skills for foreseeing the future: Hexagram Divination, Prophecy, and Stargazing. Among them, Hexagram Divination could only divine good or bad fortune, offering zero details. Prophecy yielded a direct, concrete outcome, but lacked causes and context. Stargazing was the most potent of all. Not only could it determine auspiciousness, but it could also peer into destiny—catching fragmented glimpses of future scenes—as well as the development and evolution of all things. Reading the evolution of all things was beyond Zhang Yuanqing's current level. A mysterious, brilliant starlight welled in his eyes. He beheld the celestial vault dotted across the black-velvet night sky, yet the constellations that should have shone clear and bright were now draped in a layer of gloom. It was like someone with five diopters of myopia looking up at the night sky—they could tell there was starlight above, but couldn't discern a single star. *The Zoo is restricting my Stargazing. Tsk, rule-based items are such a pain...* Zhang Yuanqing felt his palm grow heavy as the Great Luo Astrolabe materialized. Instantly, the blurred river of stars cleared somewhat. Yet it was only slightly clearer, still far from meeting the threshold for proper Stargazing. "My Stargazing is restricted," Zhang Yuanqing said, shaking his head with regret. "I can't catch glimpses of the future. My cheat got banned." "Then use your head! Stop always trying to cheat!" the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter chided in her sweet, musical voice. "Do you remember that famous saying about cracking rule-based items?" "All rules have loopholes," Zhang Yuanqing replied instinctively, then recalled something. "Wait, that's not right. The Xie family's Holy Infant didn't seem to have any loopholes." Although staying far away from the Holy Infant and its crying would cause the swollen belly to subside, running away could hardly be called a loophole in the item itself. "Who said it didn't? Cracking the Holy Infant's crying is quite simple." The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter smiled faintly. "Just give it a pacifier. If you don't have one, a finger will do. As long as you plug its mouth, you neutralize the crying." "That... that's surprisingly simple." Zhang Yuanqing found it hard to believe, yet felt an instant rush of enlightenment. "What's so hard about appeasing a child?" the Palace Master said nonchalantly before steering the topic back on track. "To find the loopholes in the rules, you must first master the rules themselves. There are two ways. First, pay the toll in human lives. Didn't you bring yin corpses? Summon them. Second, actively search for the rules. My suggestion is to head to the Staff Lounge." As Zhang Yuanqing took out Little Red Riding Hood, he asked humbly, "Why the Staff Lounge?" The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter was a veteran Spirit Realm walker and a Dominator. She was far more familiar with such high-tier rule-based items than he was. "Based on what we observed in the perimeter, our intel is limited strictly to signposts, which is clearly not enough for us to understand the park's rules. That leaves only using yin corpses to find them through trial and error. If this truly is your father's item, then back then, he must have relied on yin corpses and spirit servants to test the boundaries, gradually unraveling the park's rules bit by bit." Like a traditional opera actress, the Palace Master gently flicked her long sleeves and said breezily, "However, your foundation falls far short of your father's level. You went to great lengths to pull together two Level 6 yin corpses; you wouldn't want them destroyed here, would you?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded. The Palace Master raised her hand, arching her fingers delicately as she pointed toward the Staff Lounge. "Theoretically speaking, humans are the animal that loves leaving behind traces the most. If employees work in the zoo, they're bound to leave work records, journals, or something of the sort. That's precisely the intel we need." Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up, and he immediately laid on the flattery. "Sister is truly brilliant! Whoever manages to marry you in the future must have accumulated virtue across eight lifetimes!" The Palace Master draped an arm around his neck and flashed a dazzling smile. "Then marry me." Beneath the silver mask, her eyes shone like luminous pearls sparkling in the dark. "Palace Master, we're in grave danger right now. This is hardly the time for romance," Zhang Yuanqing said, resting a hand on her shoulder to gently push her back before giving Little Red Riding Hood a shake. Four figures tumbled out from the void, revealing the "Three Vajras" of Return of the Dead. After a moment's thought, Zhang Yuanqing recalled the Greed Divine General. With him and the Palace Master present, combat power wasn't an issue. The yin corpses were meant to serve as cannon fodder to trigger landmines. That being the case, he certainly couldn't let the Greed Divine General step on the mines. Blood Rose would do nicely; from the moment she was put into Little Red Riding Hood, she had been a disposable piece. It was a bit of a pity, though, considering how strikingly beautiful this yin corpse was. As for Commandery Princess Yinyao, she was a companion, not a mindless corpse. "Let's go!" Zhang Yuanqing moved to take the lead toward the Staff Lounge, but the Palace Master stopped him, chuckling, "Little Saint, don't try to steal the spotlight from this palace master. Stay behind me." With that, she took graceful, delicate steps forward along the trail. Shrubs lined both sides of the narrow path, giving way to dense vegetation beyond. Dim streetlights stood every fifteen meters, their dull yellow glow illuminating nothing more than a circle cast on the ground. The surroundings were deathly still. The footsteps of the four echoed in the pitch-black night, making the silence feel all the more desolate and dreadful. After walking for about ten minutes, a small building appeared ahead. Built in an apartment style with red roof tiles and gray walls, it stood two stories tall, with seven rooms on each floor. The building stood silently in the dark, its windows gaping like black voids. Strangely enough, despite being living quarters, there wasn't a single streetlight around it. As a result, the building and its perimeter were plunged into absolute darkness. Coupled with the dense foliage nearby, it gave off the distinct vibe of an abandoned, blackened house found deep within an ancient, primeval forest. "This is clearly a rule-based item belonging to the Wood Monster class, so why does it feel creepier than a Night Walker's supernatural dungeon?" Zhang Yuanqing muttered under his breath. "Don't you find it exciting?" the Palace Master teased. "Think of it as a date. We went to the cinema and bought two tickets to a horror flick. Terrifying scenes will surely pop up soon, and I can scream and throw myself into your arms, letting you take advantage of me. Or perhaps... you'd rather cower in mine?" *Are you truly cured of your mental illness? Why do you still seem completely unhinged to me?* Zhang Yuanqing complained inwardly, though his tense, heavy mood indeed dissipated quite a bit. Commandery Princess Yinyao glanced at the Palace Master, then at Zhang Yuanqing, before silently raising her small megaphone and whispering, "Yuanshi Tianzun, just how many female confidantes do you have?" Even though it was whispered through the speaker, everyone heard it loud and clear. The Palace Master scrutinized the gorgeous yin corpse, wrinkling her nose. "Why does a yin corpse need to keep its intelligence? Little paramour, shall I clean it up for you?" *She doesn't play by the rules of the harem at all...* Commandery Princess Yinyao quietly lowered her megaphone and fell silent, pretending to be a brainless corpse. "Let's head inside and look around. Don't waste time—if we drag this out, Elder Dog might come back." Zhang Yuanqing reached out, caught the Palace Master's delicate hand, and led her toward the building. The unhinged Palace Master promptly cast Commandery Princess Yinyao from her mind, following Zhang Yuanqing inside with cheerful, sprightly steps. *Creak—* Arriving at the door of the first room on the left, Zhang Yuanqing reached out. It wasn't locked; a gentle push swung it open. The room was pitch-black. His gaze swept slowly across the interior. The room wasn't large, furnished with two iron bunk beds that accommodated four people. In the center stood a long table holding bottles, cups, clothing, and other daily necessities, all coated in thick dust, including the tabletop. Near the window stood two upright lockers. "Normal staff definitely don't live here," Zhang Yuanqing said, wiping away a smear of dust from the table. He was referring to the proper zoo employees who worked during the day. "These are for the employees in blue and black uniforms mentioned in the rules," the Palace Master noted, her lovely eyes slowly scanning the room. "What's interesting is, they don't seem to ever come back here to sleep." Otherwise, dust wouldn't have accumulated so heavily. "They roam the park at night, but they don't return during the day either? Then what's the point of this dormitory's existence?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, puzzled. The Palace Master shook her head and walked straight toward the lockers. The two humans and two corpses began searching rapidly. Zhang Yuanqing and the Palace Master opened the lockers to look for valuable items, while Commandery Princess Yinyao and Blood Rose crouched down to drag out the crates beneath the bunks. Zhang Yuanqing opened a locker door. Inside lay bedding, clothes, everyday essentials like towels and toothbrushes, and a staff badge. The surname on the badge was scratched out, leaving only the given name: Qiao Jun. "Here's an employee manual." The Palace Master pulled a thin booklet from a locker. *An employee manual?* Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed. A staff manual was inevitably tied to the Zoo, making it an invaluable lead. He immediately leaned in close. The Palace Master nestled smoothly into her little paramour's embrace, opening the booklet to read it with him. Commandery Princess Yinyao tried to lean in for a look as well, but after receiving a chilly glare from the Palace Master, she stepped back in silence. *"Dear Employee:* *"Greetings. First, we must apologize to you: you failed to leave the Zoo and died here. Yet compared to the others, you are fortunate, for you were chosen, and the Zoo has granted you a second life.* *"You shall work for the Zoo for all eternity, until the end of time—or until you grow weary of it. Please cherish this hard-won second life and strive to become an outstanding Gardener.* *"While working in the Zoo, you must strictly abide by the following rules..."* *Fuck, the employees in blue and black uniforms seen at night are transformed from the dead who perished in the Zoo? But why didn't I sense the slightest trace of a spirit body?* *If I die in the Zoo, will I turn into a staff member too?* The preface of the employee manual alone left Zhang Yuanqing profoundly shaken.