Chapter 11

This time it's the classic plot of a corrupt official falling from grace.

"Isn't the protagonist a reincarnator? How can he become corrupt so easily……"

Watching the reincarnated second-round protagonist "Jin Bing," who finally got a name, step by step bring about his own doom, Zhao Si, as the player, finds it really frustrating:

According to the usual trope, reincarnation-story protagonists should be top-notch in mental fortitude and unyielding perseverance; after reading so many reincarnation webnovels, he truly hasn't seen any protagonist who could be this worthless in mindset—what about his mindset? His experience?!

Before taking office, he made all kinds of efforts to improve himself, saying he wanted to make up for his past life's regrets, but as soon as he climbed onto the high branch of power and influence, the whole dragon plummeted at light speed—bowing and scraping before his villainous adoptive father, yet acting arrogantly and domineeringly before the Wu Clan foot soldiers.

First he demanded bribes, then he bullied his subordinates, relying on the fact that the Sun Star Lord is his adoptive father, doing all sorts of improper things, and in the end, at such a young age, he actually planned to learn how to keep a mistress like others do……

"Can't bring it! Can't bring it!"

Zhao Si only felt his eyes hurt, thinking this kid was really forcing difficulty onto himself, but then he thought:

"Actually, that's not right—although the protagonist is a reincarnator, his actual age is still under a thousand years; even adding both lives together doesn't reach the standard of an adult dragon, so having a poor mindset is normal……"

【One day during class, suddenly flowers rained from the sky and golden lotuses sprang from the ground; the classmates were all doubtful and uncertain, but only you, the second-round protagonist, understood in your heart that this was Lady Nüwa creating mankind and attaining sainthood!】

"Yes!"

Zhao Si's first thought was to refuse outright, after all the protagonist is still young, there's no need to rush to curry favor with the powerful, and besides, the showdown over the demon-human conflict—"Lady Nüwa creating mankind"—hasn't even started yet; it's far too early.

【You respectfully and politely took the Sun Star Lord as your teacher; the Sun Star Lord was very pleased to have accepted such an excellent disciple of yours, and thus wanted to promote you to become a supervisor of the Wu Clan troops—for this he could manipulate things behind the scenes……】

【Faced with this scene, you choose (?)】

"But……"

Recalling the description of the Sun Star Lord by the cheap father king in the earlier side story, Zhao Si felt a bit headache:

Moreover, the protagonist currently has only Mystic Immortal cultivation; in the great war he's just a cannon fodder grunt, not even up to the level of a super soldier, and nothing he does is effective.

【After all, this is a great opportunity to personally meet the Heavenly Emperor, and there's also a chance to show your face before the various primordial great gods; having this credential will bring huge benefits later on! Besides, if you happen to catch the Heavenly Emperor's eye, promotion opportunities will be abundant!】

【You were quite moved, so under your teacher Sun Star Lord's arrangement you joined the honor guard, earnestly rehearsed for a few days, and then set off with the Heavenly Emperor's procession toward the Nüwa Emperor's Dao Field.】

Zhao Si suddenly had some enlightenment:

Why are the options this character gives himself always so extreme?

Or perhaps it's not the game itself intentionally doing this, but rather the underage protagonist's mind is truly a binary extreme—immmaturity and impulsiveness are his genuine thoughts……

【The Sun Star Lord was surprised by your answer, yet still appreciated your righteous remarks, so he abandoned the behind-the-scenes manipulation and instead supported your proper progress.】

This Sun Star Lord is a typical toadying villain; toward the Heavenly Emperor he is naturally more loyal than a dog, outwardly he appears to be an upright and upstanding figure, but behind the scenes he truly is a narrow-minded, petty schemer!

In the first side branch, after the protagonist arrogantly refused to take a master, he was fired for some pretext a few days later, then quickly was "coincidentally" assigned to the bottom of the East Sea to suppress the Primordial Toxic Volcano, and was killed off without mercy…… If this weren't the Sun Star Lord secretly pulling strings, Zhao Si really wouldn't believe it.

What should be done with such a youngster? Of course, the only thing is to keep beating him mercilessly to force him to restart!

【Should time be rewound, returning to the previous choice?】

Even if the protagonist had first offended him with heaven-defying remarks, Zhao Si still wouldn't dare gamble that politely refusing this guy wouldn't invite retaliation, after all the Heavenly Emperor's trusted lackey—casually messing with the protagonist would cause the protagonist to suffer great losses.

【Looking at this grand procession, you feel immense envy, wishing you could squeeze in to march alongside the heavenly officials, while secretly glancing at the imperial consorts' carriage, your heart spontaneously ignites with ambition: "A true man ought to be like this!" / "He can be taken and replaced!"】

Good, good, good, inspiration has risen!

Seeing the protagonist's thoughts, Zhao Si felt greatly relieved in his old age; at last he's making progress.

"Then let's bow!"

【Not long after, another five consecutive phenomena of flowers raining from the sky spread throughout the Wilderness; from then on, all six sages attained the Dao.】

【Time has already been rewound……】

【Afterward came Wangshu and Changxi, two who hail from the Yin Star as the Heavenly Emperor's newlywed consorts, and then the East August Heavenly Consort Yinglong, who was the direct granddaughter of the Ancestral Dragon, the hegemon of the Wilderness; after that came the civil and military officials of the Heavenly Court dressed in gold and purple, among whom the Demon Master Kunpeng leads the officials, the Ten Great Demon Saints follow closely behind, and all heavenly officials march solemnly on foot, daring not to vie for glory with the imperial couple.】

Next came the newlywed consorts of the Heavenly Emperor, Wang Shu and Chang Xi, who hail from the Taiyin Star, and the Eastern August Heavenly Consort Yinglong, once the direct granddaughter of the Primordial Dragon, the hegemonic ruler of the primordial era; after that came the civil and military officials of the Heavenly Court, dressed in gold and purple, among whom the Demon Master Kunpeng was the head, the Ten Great Demon Saints followed closely behind, and various heavenly officials marched solemnly on foot, daring not to vie for splendor with the emperor and empress.

【You chose option B, readily agreeing, I really want to advance!】

As it turns out, there's actually another genuinely meaningful choice to make?

【In the year four hundred, standing like a lackey, back then I tearfully swore, you all must see me……】

【……Seeing that your aptitude, comprehension, and mindset are all top-notch, your teacher, delighted at the prospect, expressed willingness to be your master, asking whether you agree, you choose (?)】

【Under the Sun Star Lord's resource bias, your cultivation and studies advanced side by side; you, who already had some fame, became even more renowned, for a time earning the title "future pillar of the Demon Race."】

【Under the resource tilt of the Sun Star Lord, your cultivation and studies advanced side by side; you, who already had some fame, became even more renowned, for a time earning the title "future pillar of the Demon Race".】

【When the Heavenly Emperor goes out, expenses are naturally maxed out; first, the mighty and imposing formation of elite witch soldiers clears the way ahead, while the Heavenly Emperor and the Eastern Emperor each ride in a carriage drawn together by the kings of the three primeval divine beasts—dragon, phoenix, and qilin—following behind the formation.】

Zhao Si smiled faintly and decisively chose B.

On the reversed application information, this time the two familiar failed options did not appear; instead, the power to devise plans was given to Zhao Si, allowing him to fill it in freely.

【A: Disdainful, does a little lord need gilding for promotion? B: Decisively agree, I really want to advance!】

【Your master, the Sun Star Lord, is also among the officials, while you stand at the rear as a member of the honor guard……】

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Si entered his own strategy:

【……When faced with the initiation inquiry, you choose (to become a disciple, but not a sycophant—neither overly cozying up to the powerful nor indulging yourself recklessly).】

【At this juncture, the Sun Star Lord suddenly sought you out privately, saying that Lady Nüwa is the Heavenly Emperor's senior sister; to repay the kindness of the sect, he intends to visit the Nüwa Imperial Daoist site to congratulate his senior sister on attaining sainthood, and has decided to bring a batch of Heavenly Court newcomers as the honor guard…… the Sun Star Lord intends to arrange for you to be gilded there.】

This question actually isn't very feasible, because the Sun Star Lord simply asks whether you are willing to become his disciple, and you only have the two options 'to become a disciple' or 'not to become a disciple'; after setting aside the protagonist's two overly extreme approaches, he can't come up with anything else.

The wilderness is famed as "Golden Immortals are as common as dogs, Taiyi immortals walk everywhere"; if one wants to make a mark in the future demon-human conflicts of the wilderness, one's cultivation must again be a Golden Immortal, right? The protagonist is still lacking an entire major realm.

"Not to become a disciple?"

Anyway, no matter what, the protagonist should just lie low and develop a bit.

I only hope that in this round of simulation I can somehow achieve perfection; at the very least I should become a notable heavenly official, living for seventy or eighty yuanhui, instead of again like before, killing myself prematurely and never even living to reach adulthood……

……

(End of chapter)