Chapter 56: The Theater Troupe Member
Back to the starting point.
Zhao Haiping didn't immediately restart; instead, he took a moment to analyze the previous battles.
"From the beginning of the trial instance to the moment the Eastern Yi bandits entered the city, there was very little time, and County Magistrate Tang's arrangements were already optimal. There was hardly any room for me to make a difference.
"Though the numbers were similar on both sides, the disparity in combat strength was significant.
"The bandits were all equipped with Eastern swords.
"These swords are expensive and require meticulous maintenance. Not every Eastern Yi soldier can afford one. For example, during the previous offline event, many of the Eastern Yi soldiers only had spears.
"This implies that these bandits in the instance aren't just a ragtag group; they're all highly experienced veterans.
"Not to mention there's a general, two shadows, and a ronin.
"That ronin's combat prowess is insane, as if he's here to bully newcomers. If I were to face him head-on, I probably wouldn't last long.
"Of course, the key issue is the lack of proper equipment.
"If I had armor, a shield, and a spear, my chances would be much better. Facing him with a rusty sword is practically suicide.
"I can't rely on my side's combat strength too much either. County Magistrate Tang and that tall, strong militia leader are quite capable, and Xu Baihu and Tang's personal guards are somewhat useful. But as for the regular soldiers and militiamen… they're just not up to par.
"Damn it, this feels like a scripted loss, like there's no way to win this battle at all.
"I'll try two more times, and if it still doesn't work, I'll have to think of a different approach."
Zhao Haiping once again selected the same identity and talents, restarting the trial.
This time, he didn't rush to the county office but waited on the city wall instead, wanting to observe why these Eastern Yi bandits could breach the city so quickly.
He discovered that it was because the city walls were unfinished. There was a section that hadn't been fully repaired, and the defenses there were weak. The bandits exploited this gap to break into the city.
The gap wasn't obvious, and even the city's guards hadn't paid much attention to it, which ultimately allowed the bandits to breach.
Zhao Haiping tried to defend with the soldiers on the wall, but, predictably, the attempt quickly led to a restart.
The second time, Zhao Haiping sprinted to the county office, reporting to Magistrate Tang in advance and convincing him not to waste time gathering more militia but instead to go directly to defend the gap in the east wall with his guards.
However, they encountered the bandits before reaching the wall.
Compared to the first attempt, this encounter was closer to the city wall, but it still wasn't early enough to stop the bandits from breaking through. With fewer people than in the first attempt, they suffered an even worse defeat after encountering the bandits.
The key figures performed similarly: Xu Baihu was cut down by the bandits; Magistrate Tang fought bravely but was left isolated after his guards fell; the tall, strong militia leader, seeing the situation was hopeless, fought his way out and escaped, while the others scattered in all directions.
As for Zhao Haiping, he intentionally engaged the ronin again, but the outcome was the same.
Game over.
After two attempts, Zhao Haiping concluded that this… seemed like a scripted loss.
At his current level, there's almost no chance of him defeating the Eastern Yi ronin alone, let alone dealing with the large number of bandits.
"It appears that the Eastern Yi bandits entering the city and Magistrate Tang's death are inevitable outcomes.
"The reason is simple: the forces that Magistrate Tang can muster are no match for these Eastern Yi bandits. Even with me as a new variable, it's still a losing battle.
"Timing-wise, even if I ran to report it from the start, there's no way to hold the east wall.
"So… the key to solving this trial instance doesn't lie in the beginning of the battle—at least, not entirely. It may be a factor, but it's not the deciding one.
"Yeah, this makes sense. Some players have the scholar role, which doesn't have direct combat abilities. Even if they can buff the soldiers, it's unlikely they could turn the tide.
"There must be a way for scholar players to clear this instance as well.
"Charging in headfirst won't work. I need to consider other strategies."
After thinking it over, Zhao Haiping decided to try a different approach.
Once again, the three initial identity options appeared before him, but this time, there was a display below the cards: "Identity Points: 76."
"Identity points should be related to my kill count. Across these three attempts, I must have killed over twenty enemies in total, though I didn't keep exact track.
"Each death deducts a fixed amount, and based on the decimal values, different enemies must award different points. Stronger enemies or solo kills might give more points, while weaker or team kills give less.
"For scholar players, the points should be awarded when allied units influenced by righteous aura make kills, allowing scholars to earn points too.
"But these points are useless right now, since I haven't unlocked new identity options and can only pick from the basic identities.
"The laborer's body is still too weak, and he has no combat memory to activate. If I could control Magistrate Tang, Xu Baihu, or the tall militia leader, I'd have a better chance. Maybe they're not selectable identities, or I haven't triggered the right conditions?"
After some thought, Zhao Haiping didn't have any leads.
He chose an identity and talent again, this time opting for the theater troupe member with the opera talent.
…
The trial instance began again.
But this time, Zhao Haiping didn't appear on the city wall as before; instead, he found himself inside the theater, near the back row.
Previously, he'd only observed the theater from outside. Now he could finally see it in full.
By modern standards, this theater would be considered small, as modern venues can seat hundreds or thousands, while this one holds just over a hundred.
Still, for a small town, this theater is already sizable.
Inside, the sound quality was noticeably better.
Zhao Haiping looked toward the stage, where a martial character and a dan character were singing in bright, resonant voices.
Despite the lack of modern sound equipment, their voices carried clearly to the back row and even reached outside, audible to passersby.
The theater had a unique architectural structure. The roof amplified the sound, and under the stage were several large jars facing the audience, enhancing the acoustics.
Performers of this era had powerful voices; weak voices couldn't carry or reach the audience, and those lacking volume wouldn't make it as renowned performers. Even some famous singers had been mocked for weak voices.
The captivating singing hushed the audience, making the theater extremely quiet. Many audience members covered their mouths to avoid coughing, further enhancing the performance's effect.
Of course, Zhao Haiping knew none of these details. All he knew was that the performance was impressive, and even someone with no interest in opera, like him, was mesmerized.
But before the song finished, someone outside shouted, "Eastern Yi bandits! They're attacking!"
Panic ensued in the theater.
The crowd's reactions varied: those in the back row tried to flee, those in the middle shouted in confusion, and the front-row patrons, unaware of the situation, turned back angrily, wanting silence to enjoy the show.
Zhao Haiping, pushed by the crowd, was forced outside.
As he struggled through the crowd, he heard screams nearby.
Looking over, he saw an Eastern Yi bandit at the theater entrance, bloody sword raised, ready to cut down the fleeing people.
More bandits followed, including the Eastern Yi general, shadows, and the ronin who'd killed Zhao Haiping twice before.
At this point, it seemed Magistrate Tang had already fallen.
Seeing the ronin, Zhao Haiping glanced back, thinking he was safe with a new identity, but the ronin locked eyes with him, sensing a hostile intent, and began to approach.
With no weapon, Zhao Haiping knew he stood no chance against the ronin.
But before the ronin could strike, a scholarly figure stepped in, saying in ancient Eastern Yi, "The general ordered not to harm the theater troupe! Did you forget?"
The ronin gave the scholar an annoyed look but sheathed his sword.
He shot Zhao Haiping another glance before heading into the theater.