Locking Onto the Reincarnator

The official titles of the Song Dynasty were the most convoluted, consisting of substantive posts, temporary assignments, academic appointments, and more; some were functional, while others were purely honorary.

Due to the preponderance of civil officials, they were most often addressed by their academic titles.

How to put it? It was much like a doctor in later ages; even if they held other positions, they were generally still addressed as "Doctor So-and-so."

Bao Zheng was known as Bao Shizhi because he had once served as a Shizhi of the Tianzhang Pavilion.

As for "Bao Longtu," that was a title from the later Ming and Qing dynasties; it was not entirely accurate, serving more as an honorific.

Because Bao Zheng was not a Grand Academician of the Longtu Pavilion, but a Direct Academician, he could not be called "Longtu."

These distinctions were all very particular.

Bao Zheng passed away this year at the age of sixty-four, which was considered a ripe old age for this era.

Even so, when the news of his death spread, the entire capital was shrouded in sorrow.

The most obvious sign was that the people wearing flowers on the streets had vanished.

The Great Song had a fashion trend: wearing flowers in one's hair.

When spring arrived, pedestrians in the streets and alleys—regardless of gender, age, or status—would tuck a flower into their hair or onto their hats.

In the 2011 version of Water Margin, the Ximen Qing played by Du Chun wore a flower in his hair, which was a faithful restoration.

Flowers blooming in competition, flaunting themselves through the streets—the sight was comical at first glance, and still comical the second time around.

Fortunately, it was merely a fashion, not a requirement, so Huang Shang naturally did not wear one.

But now, the commoners were spontaneously plucking the flowers to pay their respects to Bao Zheng.

Bao Zheng had once served as the acting prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture—note, not the Prefect of Kaifeng as seen in television dramas.

The Prefect of Kaifeng was the highest position in the prefecture, not a permanent post; according to regulations, only imperial princes were qualified to hold it.

For anyone who was not a prince in charge of Kaifeng Prefecture, the highest title was "Acting Prefect of Kaifeng," where "acting" meant temporary or deputy.

Though he was only acting, Bao Zheng was strict with himself and incorruptible; upon hearing of his appointment, the people of the capital were all joyful, living in peace and without worry.

Now that this man had died, they truly could not help but feel deep sorrow.

Not only did they remove their flowers, but many markets and entertainment districts spontaneously ceased operations to go and mourn.

Some commoners even sold their clothing to attend the funeral rites; the sound of weeping in the streets and alleys drowned out the noise of the bustling traffic.

Huang Shang merged into the flow of people, unable to help but sigh.

Sharp-featured and upright, with a spirit of unyielding integrity, his reputation would endure for a thousand years, his praises sung without end.

This was Bao Zheng.

However, although his face showed sorrow at Bao Zheng's passing, his heart remained unmoved.

After all, they had never met; he was merely a historical figure.

As for the image of "Bao the Black" from childhood television dramas, it was far too different, so he preferred not to ruin his childhood memories.

But Huang Shang still went out at the first opportunity.

It was not to go through the motions, but because a sudden inspiration struck him: he felt this was an opportunity to lock onto a Reincarnator.

Thinking from another perspective, if he were a Reincarnator and heard that Bao Zheng had died of illness upon entering the world, would he go to take a look?

Of course, this had a prerequisite—

The Reincarnator's initial arrival point had to be Dongjing, Kaifeng Prefecture.

This world was Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, and the plot focused on the martial arts world.

And Kaifeng Prefecture happened to be the place where the influence of the martial arts world was weakest.

Fortunately, this was before the main plot.

Back at the teleportation platform, Huang Shang had already discovered that every world in the heavens was roughly divided into three entry time points.

Before the plot, during the plot, and after the plot.

Three batches of Reincarnators entered during these three stages.

Undoubtedly, the time before the plot was the most advantageous.

The greatest advantage of a Reincarnator was their foresight; many opportunities could be seized a step ahead of others, and it was also easier to lay plans and conquer plot characters they wished to contract.

During the plot, one could also use force to strike force, achieving a great effect with little effort by changing the plot to reap benefits.

As for after the plot, one could only pick up the scraps.

Fortunately, the Main God Temple also had regulations: many legacies obtained by predecessors could not be taken away directly and had to be left for those who came after.

For instance, the Reincarnators entering now who obtained the Seventy-Two Arts in the Shaolin Temple Library were not allowed to burn them immediately.

Of course, if one ate a rare treasure, it was gone; one couldn't be expected to spit out the pit, plant it in the ground, and wait for it to grow again next year.

As for which types of opportunities could be consumed entirely and which must have a root left behind, it depended on the classification.

Are you wet waste, dry waste, or recyclable waste?

No world in the heavens can escape this "feeding"!

Returning to the main topic, those who can enter as the plot progresses are all Star-level powerhouses.

Huang Shang's true self is still a rookie, so he can only enter after the plot begins.

For a world with a low ceiling like Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, there are only two batches.

Huang Shang's original plan was very clear.

Three steps.

Step one: perfect infiltration.

Step two: utilize the first batch of Star-level reincarnators to raise the strength of his plot identity, Huang Shang.

Step three: once his true self enters and both Huang Shangs coexist, the plot identity effectively becomes an external avatar, which can in turn carry the reincarnators.

A small account carrying a big account.

Plan successful.

Unfortunately, plans are always just plans; realizing them is fraught with difficulty.

The hardest part is still the second step.

How to utilize those Star-level reincarnators!

These reincarnators have generally experienced at least three worlds in the heavens to possess their current strength.

They are definitely not easy to deal with, and they have come to this world with clear objectives.

Fortunately, human nature is inherently greedy; when encountering a legendary big shot by chance, would they refuse such a surprise?

But the problem is, how to meet?

"Originally, I intended for the reincarnators to find me, but now that my reputation isn't big enough, I must reverse it—I will find the reincarnators!"

"If I miss this opportunity, the world is vast, and finding them would be like looking for a needle in a haystack; I would truly have to rely on luck!"

"You must come!"

Huang Shang prayed silently, following the flow of the crowd as he moved forward.

From East Cross Street to South Gate Street, and finally to Great Cargo Street, he eventually reached Kaifeng Prefecture, having walked for an entire afternoon.

Just as Huang Shang's eyes were growing sore from watching, a man's figure outside Kaifeng Prefecture caught his attention.

Wearing a blue cloth scholar's robe and a square cap, he looked like an ordinary scholar at first glance.

However, this man was tall, at least 1.85 meters, making him stand out from the crowd, and his temperament was inconsistent with his attire, creating a sense of awkward dissonance.

Most importantly, the expression on his face was very strange.

Other commoners were mourning the death of Bao Zheng, crying with such sincerity that it was as if they were mourning their own kin.

Yet he seemed to be watching a play, a faint smile even subconsciously tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Is it this person?"

Huang Shang's gaze sharpened. After firmly memorizing the man's appearance, he dared not look too long and shifted his eyes away.

But sometimes, preconceived notions lead to wild suspicions, like the man who suspected his neighbor of stealing his axe.

No matter how good Bao Zheng's reputation was, it was impossible for everyone to love him; what if he was just an ordinary citizen who hated Bao Zheng? That would be overthinking it.

Thus, Huang Shang walked away first, and after putting some distance between himself and that person, he beckoned to the servant who had been following behind him and gave low-voiced instructions.

The servant wiped away his tears upon hearing this, nodded, and squeezed into the crowd.

Before long, a commotion broke out over there.

A burly man, having heard the servant's words, suddenly pointed at the person and shouted, "Lord Bao has passed away, are you not sad? Why are you still smiling?"

The man was startled, suppressed his smile, and said casually, "I wasn't smiling, I wasn't. Lord Bao's passing naturally makes me sad."

"Hmm?"

As soon as these words were spoken, not only the questioning man but all the surrounding commoners looked at him in unison.

The corners of Huang Shang's mouth curled up slightly.