When Chu Ge spoke those words, he was prepared for the trial to end in failure.
His words did, after all, sound like he was venting his anger at the emperor. To be honest, since starting the scholar's trial, Chu Ge, as a player, had built up a lot of frustration.
As a loyal minister, seeing corrupt officials dominate and an incompetent emperor in power, risking his life to advise the ruler—wasn't it for the sake of the emperor's kingdom? What was he aiming for?
And yet, he faced beating, imprisonment, and a lack of medical care. He had to scrape his own wounds with a broken porcelain shard, and still, these morally bankrupt people tried every way to refute him with twisted logic. They wanted either to discredit him by saying he was only after fame or persuade him to join their corrupt ranks.
In this world, was it really so hard to be a good person, to be an honest official?
Corrupt officials complained about how hard it was, having to balance the emperor's whims and their faction's interests; the emperor also lamented how difficult his position was, claiming he had to be wary of both honest and corrupt officials. But did anyone ever question that this entire mess stemmed from the emperor's own unchecked desires?
Yes, it was hard for them, but was it not even harder for honest officials and common people?
Although Chu Ge was a history student who had seen plenty of injustices in historical records, experiencing Yang Yan's life firsthand still made him want to shout: "This world is a pile of stinking garbage!"
So, his words to Emperor Zhao weren't solely for passing the trial. Part of it was venting his anger, too! He wanted to curse out this self-centered emperor who had no self-awareness.
Although his expression was still measured within the boundaries of the era, his language was severe. If Emperor Zhao became enraged and ordered his execution, this trial might indeed end in failure.
But Chu Ge had accepted that possibility. At worst, he could start over.
At least he got to say his piece—how could he let such an emperor go unscathed?
He just regretted that this was the scholar's trial, not the assassin's. Otherwise, he would have pulled out a sword from the jade qilin and stabbed the emperor!
Sure enough, Emperor Zhao's face turned shades of green and purple in rage, visible even in the dimly lit interrogation room.
But Emperor Zhao found himself at a loss for words, only able to clench his fists, his face twitching in anger, and shout, "Rebellion! Rebellion! Trai—"
Halfway through his outburst, his body went limp, and he nearly fell from his chair.
The eunuchs and guards outside rushed in, turning the room into chaos.
Chu Ge, still bound, thought to himself, Serves you right!
If he could move, he would have kicked the emperor twice for good measure.
Seeing the emperor almost faint from anger, Chu Ge thought the trial would likely end in failure.
No matter; he had vented his anger, and he was ready to start over.
However, just as Chu Ge prepared to go through it all again, a new screen appeared before his eyes—one he had never seen before:
[Scholar's Trial: A Mission for the People]
[Pass!]
[Completion Rating: This simple trial demonstrates the unyielding conviction needed to uphold "a mission for the people" behind those seemingly simple words.]
[Scholar Identity Unlocked!]
[Scholar-exclusive ability "Righteous Spirit": When acting with a clear conscience, your righteous spirit will more easily influence others, allowing even simple words to grant a powerful boost to those around you.]
[Note: This exclusive ability will be permanently active when selecting this identity. The ability may receive enhancements as your rank increases. Consider pairing it with other available abilities to maximize effectiveness.]
Chu Ge was puzzled. "Huh? I passed?"
"Did that really count as passing?"
"No, more accurately—'that's the way to pass!' This is the path the game wants me to take!"
At first, Chu Ge was surprised by the pass screen. He had expected to fail.
The core of Dark Sand lies in role-play, where players embody historical figures and fulfill their missions.
The scholar's trial starred Yang Yan, whose mission was to submit a memorial impeaching the corrupt official Wang Chong and to advise Emperor Zhao of Wei.
In his final words to the emperor, however, Chu Ge's speech had clearly exceeded Yang Yan's established character.
In ancient times, even famous scholars and loyal ministers had their historical limitations. For instance, Yang Yan was genuinely loyal to Emperor Zhao. His parting poem even included a line praising the emperor's wisdom.
He believed the emperor was wise but misguided, or deceived by Wang Chong. His memorial was to remind the emperor, fulfilling his duty as a subject. If the emperor could admit his mistakes, then all would be well.
In that era, such behavior was not only above reproach but held as a moral standard for scholars.
Yet, as a modern person, Chu Ge found such behavior difficult to accept.
Emperor Zhao was clearly an incompetent ruler. Though not the worst of despots, his arbitrary decisions had caused suffering among the people.
The commoners who starved due to Wang Chong's party replacing their rations with chaff and straw—they, too, were victims of this emperor's negligence.
Without the emperor's self-indulgent complicity with Wang Chong, how could his faction have run amok?
Chu Ge felt no such loyalty to the emperor as Yang Yan did. He only had one desire: to curse this rotten emperor as much as possible!
Though he toned it down for the role, his words still exceeded Yang Yan's character. Even so, Dark Sand deemed his trial a success.
Chu Ge thought, "So, the game developers agree with my interpretation?"
"I am indeed role-playing a historical figure, constrained by their time and values, but I don't need to adhere rigidly to every aspect. I can even add some creative flourishes to address the limitations of these historical characters—as long as it aligns with the game's core values."
"For the scholar's trial, the key wasn't 'loyalty to the ruler' but rather 'a mission for the people.'"
"In other words, my loyalty to the emperor could be flexible, but my dedication to the people had to be unwavering."
"If I focused solely on loyalty to the emperor while ignoring the people's suffering, this trial would still fail."
"So… does this standard apply to all roles?"
"It seems that the game's perspective is always from the people's viewpoint."
"In the assassin's trial, Nie Rang assassinated Emperor Yanling for the people; in the soldier's trial, the nameless deputy fought alongside General Geng Zhong to defend the border, also for the people."
"As for the wandering knight's trial, though I don't know much yet, killing evil lords would also serve the people."
"This is crucial. Figuring out this guiding principle should help with future trials."
Chu Ge felt he was beginning to understand Dark Sand's underlying philosophy.
This game's goal was not merely to replay historical figures' lives but seemed to have a deeper purpose.
Though players were still early in the game, barely scratching the surface, this realization could steer their gameplay strategies.
Without dwelling further, Chu Ge chose the scholar's identity.
It seemed that each of the four identities had distinct features. If compared to traditional RPG classes, the soldier was like a warrior, while the scholar was more of a support class. "Righteous Spirit" was clearly a buff skill.
However, in Dark Sand, these identities weren't just classes—they influenced the characters players would assume in the game.
Chu Ge knew he lacked combat skills. The other three roles didn't suit him. The scholar's support-oriented abilities and buffing allies suited his strengths better.
"I wonder how the assassin and knight trials are going."
"Judging by the current progress, players should be completing them around now."
"Once all trial recordings are released, I can compile a guide to assist others in clearing these trials."
"So, what should I do in the meantime?"
"Maybe I'll check out the knight's trial. We know the background of the assassin and soldier trials, but the knight's trial is still a mystery, missing many details."
With that decision, Chu Ge set his sights on exploring the knight's trial.
While he wasn't keen on the knight role himself, learning more about its background could help him further analyze Dark Sand.
Though he specialized in puzzle-solving and simulation games, he loved action games too—even if he wasn't very good at them.
In other words, he had the enthusiasm even if he lacked the skills.
After proving himself in the scholar's trial, he could now enjoy the game like a true player.