Fighting for Favor (Seeking Recommendations! Collections!)

Looking back at the gates of Kaifeng Prefecture, Huang Shang's eyes were filled with emotion.

He was finally leaving this place.

He had been in this world for less than half a year.

Yet it felt like a lifetime.

Whether it was the fulfillment of his studies or the twists and turns of his battles with the Reincarnators, everything had been heart-pounding.

In the end, he left the capital to return home for the provincial examinations.

Wu Que and Nightingale knew that Xu Feng and Xu Yue were certainly searching for Huang Shang, so they dared not delay and departed at the first opportunity.

Huang Shang had originally intended to return home for the exams, but he had been practically abducted by these two Reincarnators, leaving him no time to even bid farewell to his classmates.

They traveled south.

Huang Shang's ancestral home was in Yong Prefecture, within the Jinghu South Circuit.

Place names in the Song Dynasty were typically structured as Circuit, Prefecture, and County.

The Circuit was equivalent to a modern-day province, the Prefecture to a city, and the County remained a county.

Yong Prefecture in the Jinghu South Circuit was essentially the modern-day Yongzhou City in Hunan Province.

Of course, a millennium separated the present from the future, and the landscape had changed somewhat.

One might not be familiar with Jinghu, but everyone knew of the eight-hundred-mile Dongting Lake.

At the heart of the Dongting expanse lay Jun Mountain, the very location of the Beggar Sect's headquarters.

The scenery there was beautiful, shaded by lush bamboo, occupying the most picturesque spot in Jinghu while commanding a strategic position—easy to defend and difficult to attack—befitting the stature of the world's greatest sect.

When Huang Shang realized this, he felt he truly had a fated connection with the Beggar Sect.

Of course, they had not yet reached the Jinghu South Circuit.

This journey was a perfect opportunity to see people's true colors over time.

"Beggar's Chicken is ready! Young Master, eat it while it's hot!"

In the mountain forest, Nightingale dug a blackened object out of a dirt pit, cracked open the lotus leaves wrapping it, and presented a roasted chicken that was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, smiling sweetly as she held it out.

Looking at the fragrant Beggar's Chicken in his hands, Huang Shang felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.

Ever since Huang Rong captured Hong Qigong's heart with fine cuisine, many novels had featured similar tropes.

Using food to win over a beauty or a powerful figure, causing them to instantly hold the protagonist in high regard or even become inseparable from them.

It was as if those beauties and experts had never eaten anything decent in their lives before.

So, if one saw a male lead serving Beggar's Chicken to a swordswoman, there was no doubt: her heart would be fluttering, and she would be smitten.

Now, he was the target of such a strategy.

Sigh, chickens are so beautiful, why must we harm them?

Mmm, it smells so good!

What a hack! What era is this to still be using such clichés!

Wu Que was also frantically complaining in his heart.

Of course, his mood was one of envy, jealousy, and hatred.

He realized he had underestimated Nightingale's methods.

From his perspective, Huang Shang had been wary of them at the start, which was only natural.

But over these past few days, under Nightingale's meticulous care, Huang Shang's attitude had softened significantly, clearly showing signs of closeness.

A man chasing a woman is separated by a mountain; a woman chasing a man is separated by a thin veil.

Huang Shang, oh Huang Shang, I never expected that even a sturdy, thick-browed man like you couldn't resist a cute girl!

What happened to your role model, the virtuous Liu Xiahui? What about the integrity of a Song Dynasty scholar-official?

Wu Que actually wished he could make a Beggar's Chicken and offer it with both hands as well.

But many things, when done by a woman, are charming, while when done by a man, are just sickeningly perverse.

I originally wanted to wait a bit longer, but it seems I must offer the Bright Jade Art as soon as possible.

Wu Que was very clear on the principle that a "simp" would not end well.

His thinking was aligned with Xu Yue's: he intended to make Huang Shang owe him a favor rather than simply fawning over him.

But he couldn't help it if a cute girl was winning the race; if he kept acting aloof, he wouldn't even get the scraps.

That night, just as Huang Shang was sleeping, he was suddenly shaken awake.

Couldn't hold back anymore?

Opening his eyes, he saw Wu Que gesturing to him. Huang Shang's heart stirred; he put on a look of confusion and followed him outside.

The two walked one after the other for about several miles before Wu Que stopped, turned to face Huang Shang, and bowed: "Virtuous brother, this brother has a request that is difficult to voice."

Huang Shang said, "Please speak, Brother Hua."

Right, when Hua Wuque introduced himself, the name he used was simply Hua Wuque.

Shameless.

Hua Wuque took out a secret manual and handed it over: "Please accept this, worthy brother!"

Huang Shang took it without looking at the manual, his expression solemn as he said, "Brother Hua, if there is anything, please speak plainly. I will certainly do my utmost to assist you!"

Hua Wuque sighed, rolled up his sleeve, and a mark appeared prominently on his forearm: "I have been schemed against by an alien race and fear I do not have long to live. Before I die, I do not wish for this divine art to be lost, so I entrust it to you, worthy brother!"

Cancer trope? You guys are getting better at playing these games one after another!

Huang Shang looked at the realistic-looking mark on Hua Wuque's arm and cooperatively revealed a look of shock and anger: "Is there any way to resolve it?"

Hua Wuque thought to himself that he had faked this non-existent cancer precisely to get Huang Shang to accompany him in searching for a cure. Once they shared trials and tribulations, wouldn't their feelings naturally develop?

So he said, "The chance is slim, but it is not non-existent. For instance, if this divine art is cultivated to great success, there is a chance it could save my life."

As he spoke, he shoved the manual into Huang Shang's hands.

Huang Shang accepted it with a heavy expression: "I will certainly not fail this trust!"

Only then did he steady himself and look at the manual in his hands.

The three elegant characters on the cover made his heart skip a beat.

Bright Jade Art!

Together with the Wedding Dress Art, Four Illuminations Art, and Formless Art, it is known as one of the four great divine arts of the Gu Long world!

Huang Shang flipped to the first page.

From Hua Wuque's perspective, he saw a glimmer of spiritual light dissipate and merge into Huang Shang's body, signifying that it had recognized a new master.

Even with psychological preparation, the corner of his eye couldn't help but twitch.

Logically speaking, a secret manual could be read by many people, but that was limited to within the Heavens.

For example, in the Shaolin Temple of this world, one could flip through the manuals of the seventy-two supreme skills freely, and as many people as desired could read them. However, once one wanted to bring them out of the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils world, a contract card was required to form an [Item Card].

That required completing main or side quests, and only through the rewards issued by the Main God Temple could one obtain the power of contract to allow a Reincarnator to convert it.

This was not an unnecessary step, but rather the Heavens spontaneously protecting themselves, preventing items within the world from being plundered by Reincarnators. Only the power of the Main God Temple could break such restrictions.

However, even so, the items brought out became consumables, which could only be viewed by one or a few people.

This was also the reason why the Main God Temple had to continuously invade the Heavens.

Otherwise, if one only had to enter each world once to completely empty it, that would be the end of it.

Now, the Bright Jade Art, like the Dao Scripture of Xu Feng, had been viewed by Huang Shang, making Huang Shang its new master.

Setting aside Hua Wuque and Huang Shang practicing outside, inside the tent, Nightingale turned over.

"Wuque must have given his Bright Jade Art, which he couldn't sell, to Huang Shang to cultivate."

"He thinks this can stop me? When the right moment comes, I'll use the Love Potion to make Huang Shang fall hopelessly in love with me!"

"Hehehe!"

Nightingale covered her head and laughed out loud under the quilt.

But as she laughed, she suddenly thought of something, and her face flushed red: "Can Reincarnators and plot characters have babies? Probably not..."

What one thinks about during the day, one dreams about at night. Soon, Nightingale had a dream that she and Huang Shang had a second child; they had even picked out a name, but they couldn't afford a house in a good school district.

With a start, she sat bolt upright.

Her hair disheveled, she looked around blankly, suddenly remembering that she was already back at the Main God Temple, living in a large villa. Only then did she wipe away her cold sweat, sleepily confirmed that the alert magic was intact, and flopped back down, sprawled out.

(Seeking votes for support. Additionally, the Reincarnator application thread has been posted in the book review section. You are welcome to submit designs; see the post for details. Many characters from my previous books came from your inspiration, and this book will be the same. Simple or detailed designs are both fine, but the better the design, the more screen time they will certainly have.)