Everyone Has Confidence (Seeking Recommendations and Collections!)

Huang Shang finished his bath, feeling refreshed and lighthearted as he stepped out.

Times were different now. In the past, when he was with Xu Feng, he couldn't afford a single slip-up, or Xu Yue, who was observing from the shadows, would have discovered him.

Because Xu Feng and Xu Yue were the first Reincarnators to make contact with him, his persona had to be that of an ancient man from the Song Dynasty.

But now, he had been spirited away by Hua Wuque and Nightingale, creating a blank period long enough to fuel any amount of speculation.

Even if he did something strange, the Reincarnators would surely assume he had been influenced by others rather than suspect that Huang Shang was a fake.

This reduced the difficulty of his infiltration to the absolute minimum.

However, one still had to master the technique.

Meeting Hua Wuque, who had also finished washing and returned to his state as a dashing young gentleman, Huang Shang asked with concern, "How is Brother Hua's health?"

Hua Wuque paused, only then remembering his "cancer" ruse. He hurriedly adopted a haggard expression, coughed lightly, and began to play the victim: "Virtuous Brother, I... alas..."

Huang Shang wore a solemn expression, reached out to take his pulse, and channeled a strand of incomparably pure Innate True Qi into his body, guiding it along the circulation path of the Bright Jade Art.

Hua Wuque's body trembled slightly. With a flash of inspiration, he began to circulate his own True Qi to cooperate. The two forces combined, and after a quarter of an hour, his aura surged upward.

His complexion recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye; his entire being became spirited, and his skin began to radiate a luster as crystalline as jade.

The Bright Jade Art had broken through to the seventh level!

Hua Wuque was instantly overcome with wild joy.

Do not underestimate this single level of progress. In Handsome Siblings, although Hua Wuque was already a first-rate expert at the sixth level, there was still a chasm between him and the true powerhouses.

But at the seventh level, one truly stepped into the ranks of the world's supreme experts. Even the Yan Nantian and Yao Yue who appeared at the start of the story were not much stronger than this.

"Many thanks, Virtuous Brother! I... these past few days... I have missed you so bitterly!"

Hua Wuque's tiger-like eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion.

It was worth it; it was truly worth it.

The success of his cultivation was one joy, but what made him even happier was that Huang Shang truly favored them.

"Between you and me, why the need for thanks?"

Huang Shang withdrew his hand, feeling satisfied himself.

During these months of traveling for his studies, he had not neglected his cultivation.

Now, not only had he fully absorbed the enhancements from the Provincial Examination, but the accumulation of True Qi within his Upper Dantian and Ancestral Aperture was also quite considerable.

The concept of Haoran Zhengqi was truly stunning: combining Literary Qi with True Qi, allowing them to drive each other and achieve rapid, leap-and-bound progress.

In less than half a year, Huang Shang's internal cultivation was already equivalent to several years of accumulation for an ordinary martial artist, and it was incomparably pure—truly worthy of being called Innate True Qi.

Only with this was he qualified to help Hua Wuque take that final step.

It was indeed the final step; Hua Wuque's own accumulation had already been sufficient, and after constant sparring with Xu Feng during this period, having Huang Shang—who also understood the circulation path of the Bright Jade Art—assist with his Innate True Qi naturally allowed him to break through the barrier smoothly.

In this way, Hua Wuque also had his reward.

It was a small favor that cost him nothing, yet it was very important.

The Heavens Consciousness was not Earth; it wasn't as simple as just blocking someone. Even a rabbit would bite when cornered, let alone the Reincarnators sent by the Main God Temple.

If he pushed them too hard and demanded too much, and the Reincarnators ended up jumping over the wall in desperation, he would be the one to suffer.

He had to provide a little sweetness appropriately.

After giving, he had received a return.

Then, naturally, it was time to increase the intensity of his giving.

Seeing Hua Wuque glowing with health, Xu Feng's expression changed. He hurriedly moved his stool closer to Huang Shang, looking over with longing eyes.

I'm also one step away from the Innate Martial Realm, help me out too!

However, Huang Shang did not have the ability to help Xu Feng.

The cultivation method he had realized himself could not, at this stage, compare to the thousand-times-tempered martial path of the Yang God world.

Seeing that Huang Shang had no such intention, Xu Feng looked disappointed, while Hua Wuque immediately began to fuss over him, asking what Huang Shang had been doing these past few months.

The two chatted warmly. Xu Feng was clumsy with words and not very good at acting, so he could only chime in from time to time, "Me too!"

However, Huang Shang did not leave Xu Feng out in the cold; he soon turned to him and asked about his experiences since they had parted.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Feng couldn't wait to point out the villain, gesturing at Hua Wuque: "This man is a spy for Western Xia, you must not trust him!"

Hua Wuque hurriedly looked at Huang Shang, his eyes conveying a thousand unspoken words.

Huang Shang thought of the movie The Hunt and the look in the protagonist's eyes when he was being wrongly accused, silently giving a thumbs-up to his acting: "I trust Brother Hua; he would not defect to Western Xia!"

Xu Feng's heart sank, realizing that Hua Wuque's favorability was already above his own, and he feared he was about to be sidelined.

But immediately after, Huang Shang added, "The two of you may have had some misunderstandings before. I am willing to mediate and resolve your grievances."

Xu Feng breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed their positions in Huang Shang's heart were still about the same.

This time, it was Hua Wuque's turn for his heart to sink, but he reacted extremely quickly and immediately replied, "What Virtuous Brother says is absolutely correct. This brother and I never had any deep-seated hatred to begin with. We should let bygones be bygones, work together, and defend against our common enemy!"

Xu Feng clenched his fists upon hearing this, his teeth itching with hatred.

If he were to initiate a conflict now and Huang Shang witnessed it, he would inevitably incur the man's displeasure.

After two rounds of verbal sparring, Xu Feng realized he was no match for Wu Que in eloquence and had to call for reinforcements: "Sister, have you arrived?"

"I am here!"

As the words fell, the door to the private room slowly opened.

The restaurant room they occupied was in the Hui Xian Pavilion, the most high-end establishment in the capital.

It was not gaudily decorated with gold and jade, but rather elegant and pleasant; every furnishing and wall hanging was of top quality, and the layout displayed a unique ingenuity.

Even so, when the two beauties walked in, the room seemed to brighten, as if imbued with a sudden radiance.

Xu Yue did not enter alone; Nightingale walked side-by-side with her, and the two women were clearly vying with one another.

Song Dynasty attire had moved away from the opulent, bold, and colorful styles of the Tang Dynasty, favoring simple, rustic designs and soft, tranquil colors, which was exactly how Xu Yue was dressed.

A yellow silk embroidered waistband cinched her waist, accentuating her slender figure, while a floral-patterned beizi draped over her ruqun skirt, concealing the curves of her chest. The overall look was extremely simple, yet it only served to highlight her elegant temperament.

Compared to Xu Yue's tall, statuesque frame, Nightingale was much shorter, though her proportions were excellent. Her cute appearance, always smiling before she spoke, made her instantly likable.

Both women played to their respective strengths, making for a truly pleasing sight. After the introductions and courtesies, they sat down with graceful ease.

She didn't recognize me, thank goodness.

Seeing that Huang Shang showed no change in expression when Xu Feng introduced them, Xu Yue breathed a sigh of relief.

At that time, she had been hiding in the shadows, wary because she had encountered him at the Great Xiangguo Temple and bought a painting from him for fifty strings of cash; she feared being recognized and having her motives questioned.

If Huang Shang knew what she was thinking, he would likely find it both laughable and frustrating—both sides were terrified of being exposed, a truly ironic twist of fate.

On the other side, Nightingale had been looking at Huang Shang with joy, but Wu Que sent a telepathic warning, telling her to hold her position.

Being too eager now would be counterproductive; they needed to keep their composure, let the other side make the first move, and then respond accordingly.

Coincidentally, Xu Yue was thinking the exact same thing.

Her gaze flickered, observing not just Huang Shang, but also Wu Que and Nightingale, as she pondered the overall situation.

Finally, having reached a conclusion, she began to smile.

When Xu Yue smiled, Nightingale smiled back.

When Nightingale smiled, Xu Yue smiled again.

For a moment, the room was filled with fake smiles that made one's skin crawl.

Huang Shang ignored them, focusing instead on the fine wine and delicacies.

His goal at this stage was to pass the provincial and palace examinations and rank as the top scholar.

He had left Wu Que earlier because his strength had grown too rapidly, causing Wu Que to feel insecure and attempt to suppress him.

That was no longer possible now.

With Wu Que and Xu Yue both desperate to see the other side eliminated, how could they possibly provide such a convenient excuse?

Not only would they refrain from hindering him, but they would also do their utmost to assist him and clear away any obstacles.

It is only after losing something that one truly learns to cherish it.

This was working out quite well.

Once the meal was finished and they had returned to their respective rooms, Xu Feng said impatiently, "Sister, we must keep a close watch on Huang Shang this time. We absolutely cannot let the others get to him."

Xu Yue sat down and tapped her fingers lightly on the table. "Do you remember? The initial point of conflict in Huang Shang's storyline—that scholar named Chen Sheng!"

Xu Feng thought for a moment, confused. "Wasn't he just a minor character?"

Xu Yue replied, "Even minor characters have their uses. I actually met Chen Sheng back then and taught him a lesson to extinguish his jealousy. He died mysteriously later on; this is an entry point. Someone might be trying to harm Huang Shang."

Xu Feng's spirits lifted. "Good, let's do that!"

Xu Yue looked at him. "Are you completely caught up in this?"

Xu Feng froze.

Xu Yue said with a serious expression, "Remember, no matter what you do, you must keep a calm mindset. Although Huang Shang is a fortuitous encounter, the contract for a Character Card is inherently difficult, and now that others are competing for it, failure is normal. You should think of it this way: Huang Shang blocked a disaster for us before, so consider that investment already repaid. Everything from here on is a bonus—if I gain it, it is my fortune; if I lose it, it is my fate!"

Xu Feng grinned. "Sister, I understand."

"You don't!" Xu Yue shook her head. "The more you care, the less you will get. If we center everything around Huang Shang, we will only ruin our original plans. If we take a step back, we can actually use Wu Que and Nightingale's obsession with Huang Shang to make them pave the way for us. Do you understand?"

Only then did Xu Feng fully grasp her meaning, and he nodded heavily. "Sister, I understand now!"

Xu Yue smiled, then lifted her chin, saying proudly, "Besides, this is a fair competition. I don't believe for a second that anyone can outdo us in the end!"

Thanks to book friends "Heaven Crystal Hun Tian Treasure Mirror," "God's Meditation Feng Zai/.Yuan Zhi," "Feng Yu Wu Fei," and "Tian Tian Xiang Shang Jia Ban" for their tips.