Chapter 2: Different From the Plot
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According to the system's plot that was provided, the story centers on the usual family drama, conspiracy, political intrigues and, of course, revenge.
The setting of the world is the usual ancient era with the elements of [xianxia] but he find it odd because the center of the story landed on a secular world but there are mentions of immortality and immortal masters that roam around within the secular world.
'Another troublesome plot, it seems.'
This is not the first time that he encountered a plot that is so complicated, and he bet that this world has a hidden plot as well. Which gives the world-hopper a headache for it.
'Not that I have a choice to complain here.'
As for the protagonist, Xiao Zixin, is from the prominent Prime Minister Xiao Household of the Imperial Capital of the Northern Xia Empire.
Xiao Zixin was born as the second son of the principal wife, Madam Xiao, and became the second young master of the household.
"No need to bow. Rise."
With his permission, Xiao Zixin stood up straight and looked up at Shen Haoran with a smile on his face, as if he was delighted to see the Immortal Master he respected.
However, in Shen Haoran's mind, that is not the case then.
This protagonist, Xiao Zixin, differs from the other protagonists that he had encountered during his world-hopping journey.
'Yes. Way too different. That makes me to be wary of some reasons that he didn't know where to start at first.'
When he first transmigrated to this body and took over the identity of Shen Haoran, he didn't receive the original owner's memories immediately and this is the first time that happened to him.
He even tried to ask Silver to gather the original's memories from the system's archive, but for some unknown reason, Silver couldn't access the original's memories that makes him even more odd about it.
Since he didn't know what kind of person that he was occupying, he asked Silver for his profile in the system's archive and, upon checking the information, he frowns.
Because the identity of this person is a reclusive immortal master from a well-known sect from the upper realm, but for some unknown reason, he chooses to isolate himself from the world and not just that; he went down from the upper realm to the lower realm and was never stepped outside of the world.
The system's archive provided him with information, which triggered the sudden issuance of a hidden plot, causing his frown to deepen when he read about it.
˂ Hidden Main Task Unlocked #1: Uncover the mysteries of the reclusive Immortal Master Shen Haoran and his connection to the Zhang Household. ˃
˂ Hidden Sub Task #1: Take Zhang Hui Ying as your disciple and prevent her impending doom. ˃
Now, that's even way more complicated. He had handled the most arduous task in the past, but judging right now, this world is a rather much complicated to deal with.
There are some worldlines that he didn't do well, but he never failed in one of his world-hopping journeys, not even once.
He had already done those hidden tasks, and he couldn't believe what he had discovered about Shen Haoran. He also successfully takes Zhang Hui Ying as his disciple and now he can prevent her impending doom, that was written in the original plot.
In the original plot, Zhang Hui Ying is the eldest daughter from the Zhang Household, a military household and not just that, she is also engaged to the male protagonist, Xiao Zixin.
The reason for her death in the original plot is because of the heroine named Daiyu, who was a palace maid in the Imperial Palace that Xiao Zixin had met when the male protagonist became the study companion of the Crown Prince.
When he read the plot, he rolled his eyes because he already anticipated what would happen and he just skimmed through it as he only took the important events that would happen, and the system prompted him to do another task at that time.
˂ Hidden Main Task #2: Prevent the Crown Prince, Long Mingyu, to be the next Emperor of the Northern Xia Empire. ˃
˂ Hidden Main Task #3: Reveal the true face of the heroine. ˃
˂ Hidden Sub Task #2: Annulled the engagement between the female villainess Zhang Hui Ying and the male protagonist Xiao Zixin. ˃
'Wow! A face-slapping task and an engagement wrecker! Tsk! Seriously?!'
He had done the tasks about revealing the true face of the heroine and the engagement of both people had already been nullify because of his presence as an immortal master and no one dared to question his decision for his disciple and Zhang Hui Ying is even more delighted that the engagement is now nullify and can now focus on her studies with him.
As for preventing the Crown Prince from becoming the Emperor, Shen Haoran didn't have a choice but to use the male protagonist, Xiao Zixin, to his advantage.
According to the plot, when Xiao Zixin became the Crown Prince's study companion, the male protagonist had sworn an oath of loyalty to the Crown Prince because of what the Crown Prince had said to him.
About Xiao Zixin's birth origin…
Yes, this is your classic tale of a xianxia protagonist who is not an actual son of a prominent family and had a special identity like any protagonist out there. If the plot follows, the male protagonist would become the usual overpowered bastard that would sweep all the realms under his palms.
However, that didn't happen because of him entering this world and the plot had already collapsed the moment he intervened.
In the plot, there is no Shen Haoran that was mentioned and, from the reader's perspective, we can only consider him as a background character without a name.
He hadn't received the original's memories even though he had done many tasks and even discovered his connections with the Zhang household, but it never triggers the original's memories.
However, when he accidentally met the male protagonist, some images suddenly flowed through his mind that sometimes it gives him a headache for unknown reason.
Because of that, the system suddenly issued an emergency task and when he received the task, he frowns even more.
˂ Hidden Main Task #4: Identify the male protagonist, Xiao Zixin, if he is a native of this world or not. ˃
Now, he already uncovered those secrets, but he is just waiting for this protagonist to come at him on his own and it should be that only both of them are present because Shen Haoran believed that this male protagonist, Xiao Zixin, is also like him…
A world-hopper….