While the other Reincarnators were still waiting outside the Heavens Consciousness worlds, Huang Shang had already entered first. As the Universal Card flew out of his body, hundreds of character portraits appeared on it, ready for him to choose.
They were all named characters from the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils world.
"Women are allowed too..."
Huang Shang swept his gaze over them and curled his lips.
Unfortunately, he wasn't a cross-dressing enthusiast. With a wave of his hand, he excluded the women, leaving more than a hundred male characters from the story.
More than two hundred and thirty characters appeared in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, either in person or in the background.
From the three protagonists, Xiao Feng, Duan Yu, and Xu Zhu, to Sweeping Monk, Wu Yazi, Xiao Yuanshan, Murong Bo, Murong Fu, and Duan Zhengchun, then all the way down to bit players with barely any scenes—there were all sorts.
These were all potential targets Huang Shang could infiltrate.
They were ranked from top to bottom according to their importance in the original story.
But after glancing at the three protagonists in the top row, he immediately looked farther down.
He wouldn't choose a protagonist at this stage.
The protagonist was the heart of a work, with everything revolving around him. Yet protagonists were also the hardest targets to infiltrate.
Not only was their personality set in stone, but the plot placed major restrictions on them. The perks were appealing, but other Reincarnators would undoubtedly fight over them.
When that happened, should he resist or not?
If he didn't, he'd lose his martial arts, status, and wife. But if he resisted, he'd risk revealing a flaw and arousing suspicion.
So it was best to choose a supporting character—or even a villain—as an infiltration target.
Why did villains and supporting characters in movies and TV shows so often stand out, sometimes even overshadowing the protagonists?
Because they had more room to maneuver, and could bring something fresh to the audience. That made them all the more memorable.
Of course, it was also essential for a supporting character to have a decent amount of screen time.
If he were an insignificant bit player, even the most brilliant performance would be over in a few lines. That wouldn't suit Huang Shang's needs.
Huang Shang had already thought through all these details. In fact, even before entering Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, he'd tentatively settled on his infiltration target—
Duan Zhengchun.
It absolutely wasn't because Duan Zhengchun was the luckiest in love, surrounded by the greatest number of beautiful women of every kind. It was because his family background and importance to the plot both suited Huang Shang's needs.
But this decision was far too important to make on the spot. Huang Shang didn't choose immediately. Instead, he read through the names one by one, recalling details of the story as he went.
Suddenly, a familiar name, one remarkably similar to his own, caught his eye. Huang Shang froze. "Huh? Why is he here? This is Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils!"
The figure before him was a refined young scholar with a clear, handsome face and a scholarly air.
Yet he was ranked at the very bottom in terms of plot importance, even below bit players whose names were merely mentioned in the original story.
Because this person was named Huang Shang.
The author of the Nine Yin Manual, a grandmaster whose influence shaped the martial world for generations to come!
How could he be among the characters from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils?
After a moment's thought, Huang Shang understood.
It made sense.
Huang Shang had actually been born before the events of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils took place, during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song.
And Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils had a clearly defined timeline. The emperor then was Emperor Zhezong of Song, the son of Emperor Shenzong and older brother of Emperor Huizong.
All of them were famous emperors of the Northern Song.
Emperor Renzong was the emperor at the heart of the "狸猫换太子" tale, the one Bao Zheng served. Emperor Shenzong had supported Wang Anshi's reforms. As for Emperor Huizong, there was no need to say more: he was the incompetent ruler who brought down the Northern Song. The Jingkang Disaster, an eternal stain of shame, remained an everlasting agony.
In this turbulent era, when Xiao Feng, Duan Yu, Xu Zhu, and the others repelled the enemy at Yanmen Pass near the end of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Huang Shang was merely a middling civil official, governing a region and having no connection to the martial world.
Everyone knew what happened later.
Huang Shang was first put in charge of compiling books. He grasped the principles of martial arts from the Daoist Canon and learned martial arts. When he led troops to suppress the Ming Cult, he came into conflict with the martial arts sects. His family was slaughtered in revenge, and he fled into the mountains. There, he gathered together everything he'd learned in his life and created the Nine Yin Manual.
By the time he emerged, the Northern Song had fallen and the Southern Song had begun. His enemies had died of old age, and his own life was nearing its end. He passed down the Nine Yin Manual, bringing his legendary life to a close.
This grandmaster had lived for well over a hundred years.
"Huang Shang... Huang Shang..."
Huang Shang suddenly realized that Huang Shang was also an excellent target to infiltrate.
First, Huang Shang was a background character who had never formally appeared.
No one knew what his personality was really like. No one knew him at all.
That made infiltration much easier.
He wouldn't need to worry that any little detail deviating from the original story would shatter the character he was playing and arouse suspicion.
That was also why he hadn't chosen Sweeping Monk.
Powerful, yes, but far too restrictive.
Second, Huang Shang's talent was far greater than Duan Zhengchun's.
He'd mastered martial arts on his own!
A grandmaster of his generation!
Huang Shang's talent for martial arts was unquestionably among the very best in the Jin Yong worlds.
Considering how the world's vital energy had weakened, even Ah Qing of the Yue Maiden Sword might not surpass him.
And the Universal Card granted by the Heavens had explained that while infiltrating, he could also inherit the strengths of the character.
Even after this story world ended, he could make a contract with Huang Shang.
The Huang Shang at that point would essentially be an external incarnation. The only difference was that he'd take the form of a Character Card, fooling the space.
I make a contract with myself.
A perfectly legitimate way to rapidly increase a Reincarnator's strength.
The temptation was immense.
But Duan Zhengchun had his own advantages.
He was a member of the Dali royal family and a man of the martial world, so he could naturally get involved in its affairs and interfere with the main plot of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.
Huang Shang couldn't.
If he wanted to make "reasonable" changes, he'd have to guide the Reincarnators into changing his story for him.
What's more, Huang Shang had taught himself martial arts. That also meant he had no martial arts to protect himself before he became a master.
The slightest slip, and even if his character remained intact, he might not.
So each had its own advantages. Unless he could foresee the future, no one could say which choice would be better.
"Duan Zhengchun takes the martial-world route. Huang Shang, at first, follows the historical route."
"Judging from the Qing Dynasty hairstyles in Book and Sword Gratitude and Revenge, the Heavens Consciousness worlds are very rigorous. I've also brushed up on plenty of knowledge beforehand."
"Fortune favors the bold!"
In the end, Huang Shang still pointed to Huang Shang.
It wasn't because their names were so similar that it felt more natural to hear them spoken aloud. He simply couldn't bring himself to pass up the chance to become a grandmaster.
Now that he'd embarked on this path, he couldn't fear hardship. He had to seize every opportunity.
As Huang Shang made his choice, the young scholar entered the Universal Card, and a scroll slowly unfurled.
"Is this Huang Shang's memory?"
After examining it closely, Huang Shang furrowed his brow again. "Huang Shang was born in 1044. This world is in 1062, so he's only eighteen. How do I deal with this time gap? Do I infiltrate him for only part of his life, or act as him from the age of eighteen to eighty-two? I know far too little about him."
After worrying over it for a moment, Huang Shang gritted his teeth and drew the Universal Card into his body.
Once the bow was drawn, there was no turning back. No matter what, this infiltration into the Heavens was about to begin.
Rumble!
The instant the card, edged with flowing golden lines, merged with his soul, a colossal force suddenly seized Huang Shang and yanked him downward, plunging him at incredible speed.
The azure planet swelled wildly before his eyes. The terrifying impact made him shut his eyes instinctively.
Then he lost consciousness.
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