Murong Bo Awakened (Seeking Recommendations and Collections!)

"He's coming over!"

Just as Huang Shang grew alert, the scholar turned around, revealing a lean, refined face.

Seeing him walk straight toward him, Huang Shang nodded slightly to show goodwill, and the scholar immediately bowed: "Is this brother traveling to Liangguang for his studies?"

His voice was slightly low and possessed a magnetic quality that made it hard not to feel a sense of affinity upon hearing it.

"Indeed!"

Huang Shang stood up, the Noble Spirit within his body stirring.

Before the Examination Hall, following his enhancement as the top provincial graduate, his Literary Qi and true qi had not only grown several times stronger, but he had also begun to fuse them, forming a power unique to himself.

However, Huang Shang was still crossing the river by feeling for stones; the concept was sound, but whether he could truly balance the literary and the martial remained a long and arduous road.

During this time, he had been referencing the Dao Scripture and the Bright Jade Art, striving to gain insight and grasp the secrets within.

At this moment, he had an unexpected harvest.

Not only did he determine that this scholar was targeting him, but he also sensed that beneath the man's gentle and scholarly exterior lay a cold, ruthless, and sinister nature—he was extremely dangerous.

Huang Shang's heart stirred, and he cupped his hands in a salute: "This Humble One is Huang Shang, courtesy name Shengzhong, a native of Yong Prefecture."

The scholar said: "This Humble One is Murong Xing, courtesy name Gongsi, a native of Suzhou. I am also traveling to broaden my horizons. Seeing that you possess such a magnificent appearance and extraordinary bearing, I have come specifically to make your acquaintance."

At the end, he suddenly feigned shock: "Could you be the brilliant disciple of Master Hengqu, the top graduate Huang who shattered the martial arts thieves before the Yong Prefecture Examination Hall—the incarnation of the Wenqu Star?"

"It is indeed this humble one, though the talk of the Wenqu Star is truly more than I deserve!"

Huang Shang smiled slightly, his words perfunctory while his mind had already deduced the other's identity.

It was Murong Bo!

The threat this scholar posed to him was even greater than that of the Beggar Sect leader, Wang Jiantong.

Yet Wang Jiantong was already a top-tier expert in the martial arts world; those who were definitively stronger than him could be counted on one's fingers.

In the original plot, excluding the two-star Sweeping Monk and the potentially still-living Xiaoyaozi, there were only the Three Elders of Xiaoyao—Wu Yazi, Li Qiushui, and Tianshan Tonglao—along with the four legends of Tianlong: Xiao Yuanshan, Xiao Feng, Murong Bo, and Jiumozhi.

The Three Elders of Xiaoyao had a limited range of activity, Wu Yazi's temperament differed from this man's, Xiao Feng was still a child, Xiao Yuanshan was likely still recovering from his injuries, and Jiumozhi certainly wouldn't be dressed in this fashion.

Eliminating the others, the fake-dead Murong Bo was the most likely candidate.

This temperament—scholarly on the surface, yet rotten to the core—was the final confirmation.

He would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

It was just that this alias, Murong Xing, was truly interesting.

Even when faking his death, he wouldn't change his surname?

As a descendant of the royal family of the Yan Kingdom from the era of the Sixteen Kingdoms, Murong Bo was clearly very proud.

Huang Shang, however, thought he was sick in the head.

Note that the Yan Kingdom belonged to the Five Barbarians, not the Five Dynasties before the Song Dynasty.

This so-called Yan Kingdom traced back to the period after the Uprising of the Five Barbarians during the Jin Dynasty, a kingdom established by the Murong clan of the Xianbei people.

When was that?

337 AD!

And what year was it now?

1062 AD!

Throughout history, many people had wanted to restore their nations, such as restoring the Han Dynasty or overthrowing the Qing to restore the Ming.

After a dynasty fell, there were always those who hoped for a restoration.

But had one ever heard of a restoration after seven hundred years?

Why not claim to be a descendant of Chiyou and restore the Nine Li?

Truly sick, though it's to be expected; after all, your ancestors were nothing but corpse-desecrating maniacs.

Huang Shang felt nothing but contempt, while Murong Bo issued an invitation: "Meeting is fate; I wonder if I might accompany the top graduate Huang on a journey through the Liangguang region?"

The invitation sounded strange, but in reality, it was quite common.

As mentioned before, scholars traveled to broaden their horizons, but also to build connections.

You never knew which scholar you might meet on the road who, upon passing the imperial examinations, could become a powerful ally in the officialdom.

Of course, someone like Murong Bo wasn't looking for connections, but rather a pyramid scheme.

First, he would scam his own friends and family.

Huang Shang, despite his internal complaints, naturally nodded in agreement.

The two began to converse.

It had to be said that if one were unaware of his true colors, he was indeed learned and talented.

Whether he was expressing profound insights on world affairs or flattering and echoing Huang Shang's own words, everything was perfectly measured, making one feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

No wonder Abbot Xuan Ci of Shaolin regarded him as a close friend and trusted his intelligence implicitly; even after being played so severely, he harbored no suspicions afterward.

Huang Shang exchanged ideas with Murong Bo, and both benefited greatly from the conversation.

Among three people walking together, there must be one who can be my teacher.

He had always firmly believed that learning as many skills as possible from everyone he met was the true ability required to establish oneself in the world.

Moreover, Huang Shang was certain that this Murong Bo was no longer the Murong Bo from the original plot.

Just as Reincarnators strove to alter the life trajectory of Huang Shang, possessing the advantage of foresight, they would naturally set their sights on other powerful plot characters as well.

Among them, the easiest to utilize, yet also the most difficult to control, was Murong Bo.

He was easiest to utilize because Murong Bo's goal was clear: to restore the Great Yan.

However, this man was cunning and treacherous, his methods ruthless and devoid of taboos; if one thought they could manipulate him at will, they would be gravely mistaken.

Once Murong Bo had his own ideas, he would immediately shake off the Reincarnators and set out on his own path.

The question is, why would Murong Bo set his sights on me?

Could it be because of that battle in the Worry-Free Cave of Eastern Capital Kaifeng Prefecture, where Wu Que and Nightingale ambushed Xu Yue and Xu Feng?

Huang Shang peeled back the layers of the mystery, locking onto the truth.

The Main God Temple stipulated that Reincarnators were not allowed to kill one another. In the Worry-Free Cave, when the two sides of Reincarnators clashed, if Wu Que and Nightingale truly aimed to kill Xu Feng and Xu Yue, they would have needed a plot character to deliver the finishing blow.

This plot character would necessarily be powerful, capable of launching sneak attacks from the shadows, and utterly unscrupulous.

Connecting all the clues, it was nine-tenths certain that Murong Bo was the plot character colluding with Wu Que and Nightingale.

This fellow came and went like a shadow; even the local thugs of the Worry-Free Cave could not detect him. He was truly a veteran schemer.

Yet, even the Reincarnators could not control him; throughout the battle in the Worry-Free Cave, Murong Bo had never once revealed himself.

Instead, it was the Reincarnators' attitude toward Huang Shang that had caught his attention.

Now that Huang Shang was a Jieyuan and had gained great fame in the Jinghu South Circuit, this meeting had finally come to pass.

Wu Que probably never imagined that a plot character would come to compete with him for the prize.

Huang Shang chuckled inwardly.

He had not known beforehand that he would be on this ship.

He had chosen the waterway to avoid Tu Xingsun.

Murong Bo's timely appearance could not be a coincidence; it was only possible that he had been tailing them, silently observing from the sidelines all along.

This man possessed extreme patience; for the sake of a goal, he could persevere for years or even decades, so a mere month was naturally no issue at all.

Has he been enlightened by the Reincarnators, realizing that the path of the pugilistic world holds no hope for restoring his nation, and now intends to pursue the path of the imperial court?

Huang Shang looked at Murong Bo, his heart filled with amusement.

When with Reincarnators, he was a "clueless" plot character.

When with plot characters, he transformed into a Reincarnator who knew the plot by heart.

He had originally prepared a set of excuses for why he had left Yong Prefecture.

He had wondered how to explain himself if Wu Que's group caught up or if they met again in Eastern Capital Kaifeng Prefecture.

Now, it seemed he could make some changes.

Murong Bo, you have come at just the right time.

Thanks to book friends "Heaven Crystal Hun Tian Treasure Mirror," "Feng Yu Wu Fei," "Jin Se'er," and "It Is Me Demon" for their tips.