Back to square one.
Zhao Haiping just wanted to shout, "Damn it, refund me!"
For a moment, the atmosphere was so intense that Zhao Haiping truly believed the next second would ignite the flames outside, wiping out those Eastern bandits. But as it turned out, he was thinking too much.
As expected, this trial wouldn't be so simple to clear.
However, this attempt wasn't entirely in vain. Zhao Haiping managed to gather more information, getting a clearer idea of how to complete this trial.
More importantly, he discovered he had unlocked a new identity!
Aside from the initial three base identities, he could now also choose to play as Su Xianjun. However, each time he took on this role, it would cost 50 identity points.
Zhao Haiping checked his identity points and saw he only had 66 left.
"Previously, I had 76 points, and I didn't kill any bandits in the last trial, meaning that each death deducts 10 points.
"Each regular bandit kill seems to yield between 5 to 10 points.
"So that means... I have to kill at least one or two bandits each time just to keep a positive point balance. But it costs 50 points to play a key role, which is pretty steep...
"But that's not a huge issue. I can just grind for points and polish my combat skills along the way.
"The real problem is… I have zero confidence in playing Su Xianjun.
"Going on stage to sing Peach Blossom Fan — even with the aid of my talent as a restorer — I can't even imagine the scene…
"So, I now understand the general flow of the trial. The goal is likely to help Su Xianjun complete the mission of burning down the theater to destroy the bandits.
"But it's easier said than done. Achieving this goal probably requires meeting a lot of conditions…
"This trial is so complex. Not really ideal for a brute with only 9 intelligence points like me…"
As Zhao Haiping was wracking his brain to figure out the trial's process, his vision began to fog over, and he sensed the feeling of waking up.
"Is today's fun already over?"
He felt a bit unsatisfied.
Since the trial content expanded, each experience in the game felt longer, but it still never seemed enough.
But there was no helping it; fun times were always short-lived. He would just have to wait until tomorrow night to try avenging himself against that wanderer.
…
After waking up, Zhao Haiping freshened up and immediately logged onto the forum to check updates.
Sure enough, the forum was quickly flooded with new posts, all discussing the new trial.
Players now had a habit of posting immediately after leaving a trial, sharing experiences with others.
After all, as the saying goes, "The early bird catches the worm." Those who posted early had a better chance of getting noticed.
Many players put in hard work all night, just for the chance to show off on the forum.
After breakfast, Zhao Haiping refreshed the forum and quickly saw many discussions about the new trial. His friend Chu Ge had also posted, along with several other history-savvy players who shared their insights.
There was little debate about the historical basis of this trial.
"The historical basis of this trial is likely the bandit invasion during the late Sheng Dynasty. This small county is called Chongyuan, and the county magistrate was Tang Yizhang. Historical records describe the event as follows:
"'Tang Yizhang… recommended as magistrate of Chongyuan County for his integrity and governance... Before the earthwork was finished, bandits attacked, and he personally led the defense. After killing several bandits in street fighting, he succumbed to his wounds, and the county was lost… The bandits had a poet among them, a scholar who had failed in the bureaucracy and turned traitor, guiding them. He wrote on the theater wall: "Sea fog opens and closes at dawn… The militia was enraged, shouting, 'How can we not kill these bandits to honor Magistrate Tang?' They fought fiercely, killed nearly a hundred bandits, and reclaimed the county… He was posthumously honored as the Loyal Martyr, and a tomb, temple, and monument were erected in his memory.'
"You should have seen these events in the trial.
"It's clear that Magistrate Tang's fate is a predetermined loss, as our forces are vastly outmatched. As for the scholar who wrote poetry on the theater wall, he's also historically documented.
"The trial goal seems to be to rally the militia and reclaim the county, wiping out the bandits.
"However, as for other key figures in the trial, such as the theater owners Su Xianjun and Yang Xinyan, and the militia leader Gao Ze, there's no historical record of them.
"There is some information on Wang Jinghui, though. He was a well-known scholar at the time and authored the Cloud River Collection. He was killed by bandits while visiting Chongyuan County.
"Only one poem from the Cloud River Collection has survived:
"'In twilight rain, the lonely house stands, no one cares for joy or sorrow;
"Years rush by, a thousand miles of desolation;
"Gray hair sprouts at the temples, yet no regrets for youthful journeys;
"The soul leaves with no return, yet China shall not be forgotten.'
"While this poem isn't particularly notable in terms of literary quality, it does express a deep love for the nation. His sacrifice against the Eastern bandits further solidifies his status as a patriotic poet. Whether his trial portrayal aligns with history remains to be seen."
It was clear that some players were exceptionally skilled, digging up all these historical references within an hour.
Zhao Haiping suspected that some players might have exited the game early just to search through historical texts to post first.
Overall, the information shared was indeed helpful, but not enough to completely solve the trial.
In previous trials, some trials were well-documented, like the Assassin Trial; others had no historical records at all, like the Ranger Trial, leaving players to guess.
This new trial seemed to follow the same style, offering historical references but not a complete record.
While the history provided some guidance, it was unrealistic to expect to clear the trial by simply following it word-for-word.
Moreover, this trial introduced new mechanics: customizable identities and character correction.
The trial's basic structure was now clear. Most players followed a similar experience as Zhao Haiping's, first attempting to help Magistrate Tang repel the bandits, and, after failing, realizing the theater might be a crucial side quest, only to fail there as well.
Of course, some players didn't go to the theater but instead searched around the county to find Gao Ze and rally the militia, but it was equally fruitless.
Players' experiences were similar, but opinions on how to clear the trial diverged, and they couldn't agree.
One ranger player posted: "I think the trial's objectives are twofold: identifying the traitor and pinpointing which character has been altered, then using roleplay to correct their image!
"Regarding altered characters, I haven't unlocked any special identities yet, so I won't comment. But on the traitor issue, here's what I think.
"I strongly suspect that aside from the obvious traitor, the scholar, there's another hidden traitor!
"Here's why: I spent my entire night running around the walls, making several laps. I noticed that the breach in the wall isn't very conspicuous, and there are even more visible gaps elsewhere.
"However, the defenses are weakest at this breach.
"The bandits just happened to enter through this exact spot, which seems too coincidental. If they had attacked from another direction, Magistrate Tang might have organized a defense in time, potentially changing the course of the scenario.
"Moreover, historical records indicate that many nobles and wealthy merchants collaborated with the bandits, even scheming against loyal defenders. It wouldn't be surprising if someone in this small county had been bribed.
"As for Su Xianjun's theater-burning plan failing at the end, it's very likely that a traitor sabotaged it.
"So I think we should focus on identifying all traitors first! Only by eliminating them will our chances of success increase.
"No matter how perfect our plan, it will be ruined if a traitor undermines it."