From cute to empress

Chapter 217 The Secret of the Heavenly Book

"As long as I'm with you, every day is a beautiful story." Zhen Youcai's words still echo in my ears, as sweet as ever. Yes, even though I'm now an emperor, ruling the world, the feelings of our youth remain like a jar of fine wine, its fragrance only growing stronger with age.

"Your Majesty, General, we have arrived at the library." Eunuch Zhang's shrill voice brought me back to reality.

Zhen Youcai and I exchanged a glance, each one a look of determination. Hoping to unravel the mysteries of the prophecies, we'd searched countless historical texts, yet we were still unable to find the answer. Finally, we turned our gaze to the nearly forgotten ancient library deep within the imperial palace.

Pushing open the heavy vermilion lacquer door, a damp, musty smell hit me. Sunlight filtered through the cracks in the window lattice, illuminating the mountain of ancient books. Dust danced in the light, as if telling of the passage of time. I carefully opened a scroll of yellowed bamboo slips. The writing was simple and difficult to understand; I could only barely make out a few words.

"These words..." Zhen Youcai frowned. He was also troubled by these words he had never seen before.

Just when we were at our wit's end, an old voice came from behind the bookshelf: "Are you two worried about these 'heavenly books'?"

We looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man in coarse linen standing in the shadows. His hair and beard were all white and his face was haggard, but his eyes were bright and seemed to contain endless wisdom.

"Who is this old man?" I asked, feeling vaguely that this person was no ordinary person.

The old man smiled slightly and slowly walked up to us: "I am Mo Yin, I have lived here for many years. You can just call me Old Mo."

"Mr. Mo Yin," Zhen Youcai bowed, "Have you done any research on these ancient books?"

Elder Mo Yin stroked an ancient book, his eyes filled with reminiscence. "I know a thing or two..." He paused, his gaze fixed on Zhen Youcai and me. "I wonder what you two are looking for in these ancient books?"

I took a deep breath and was about to speak, but I heard Zhen Youcai say, "We want to..." Before he could finish his words, old man Mo Yin raised his hand to interrupt him.

"The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed," said Old Man Mo Yin in a serious tone, "Some things, knowing them may not be a good thing..." He gave us a meaningful look, turned and walked into the depths of the bookshelf, "Come with me, I will take you to see something."

Zhen Youcai and I exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of doubt in the other's eyes, but we followed anyway. Elder Mo Yin stopped in front of a massive bookshelf and reached out from the top, pulling down a book wrapped in black satin. He slowly unwrapped the silk, revealing an antique wooden box...

Old Man Mo Yin carefully opened the wooden box. Inside lay a piece of crystal clear white jade with intricate and delicate cloud patterns carved on it. A faint light could be seen flowing within it.

"This is..." I couldn't help but reach out to touch it, but was stopped by Old Man Mo Yin.

"This is the 'Heavenly Secret Jade', which can help you decipher the Heavenly Book." Elder Mo Yin handed the white jade to Zhen Youcai, "Place the jade between your eyebrows, calm down and concentrate, and you will be able to glimpse the mysteries within."

Zhen Youcai did as he was told. After a moment, he opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "This jade... can actually let me understand those words!"

I eagerly took the Heavenly Secret Jade and placed it close to my brow. Suddenly, a refreshing sensation spread throughout my body. The previously obscure texts seemed to be infused with life, each one clearly appearing before my eyes. Furthermore, the patterns in the ancient books were no longer simple lines, but vivid images, silently telling stories from the distant past.

Under the guidance of Elder Mo Yin, we began to systematically study and decipher these ancient texts. He explained that these characters weren't ordinary words, but rather a "celestial language" passed down from ancient times, accessible only to those with special abilities. The patterns, he explained, were "astrological charts," recording the movements of celestial bodies and the mysteries of the universe.

We forgot food and sleep, immersed ourselves day and night in the world of ancient texts, trying to find clues to the prophecy. However, as our study deepened, the difficulties we encountered grew greater. The language of the sky is vast and profound, and our understanding is only the tip of the iceberg; the astrological map is even more vast and boundless. We feel lost in the boundless universe, unable to find our way.

"What exactly does this prophecy mean?" I put down the bamboo slips in my hand, rubbed my sore eyes, and spoke with a hint of weakness in my tone.

Zhen Youcai held my hand and gave me an encouraging look: "Don't be discouraged, we will definitely find the answer."

Elder Mo Yin looked out the window at the rolling sea of ​​clouds and said meaningfully, "Unraveling the prophecy is only the first step..." He suddenly stopped, looked out the window sharply, and said in a deep voice, "Someone is coming."

I was startled and followed his gaze. I saw several dark shadows in the distant sky rushing towards the library... As soon as Old Man Mo Yin finished speaking, several dark shadows broke through the window and came in. The strong wind brought a strong smell of blood in my face. I immediately understood that they were people from the Black Evil Sect!

They were all dressed in black, their faces masked, revealing only pairs of murderous eyes. Without a word, they rushed straight to the bookshelves, their target clearly in mind - those ancient books!

"Protect the ancient books!" Zhen Youcai drew his sword and led the charge. His swordplay was sharp, each strike deadly, as he engaged the men in black. However, the enemy was outnumbered and highly skilled, and we gradually lost ground.

Although I don't know martial arts, I can't just sit there and wait for death. I looked around, hoping to find something useful. Suddenly, my eyes fell on the wooden box that Old Man Mo Yin had opened earlier.

"Heavenly Secret Jade!" An idea suddenly occurred to me. I quickly picked up the Heavenly Secret Jade and pointed it at the men in black who were trying to grab the ancient book.

"what!"

"my eyes!"

The Tianji Jade emitted a dazzling white light, and the men in black who were illuminated by it immediately covered their eyes in pain and screamed.

"Now!" I shouted.

Zhen Youcai seized the opportunity, and with a flash of his sword, he forced the men in black back. Elder Mo Yin also swung his whisk, knocking several men in black to the ground.

"Let's go!" Old man Mo Yin shouted and rushed out of the library first.

Zhen Youcai and I followed closely behind and escaped from the library.

However, just when we thought we were out of danger, we found ourselves surrounded.

"Where are you running to!" A cold voice came from the crowd, and a tall man with a sinister face slowly walked out. He held a black long knife in his hand, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

He is none other than the second in command of the Black Evil Sect - "Ghost-Seeing Sorrow".

"Hand over the ancient books and I will spare your life!" Guijianchou said coldly, with greed flashing in his eyes.

"Don't even think about it!" I clenched my fists and looked at him fearlessly.

"If you don't accept my toast, you'll have to drink for it!" Guijianchou roared and raised his knife to chop at me.

At the critical moment, Zhen Youcai stood in front of me and swung his sword to block his attack.

"If you want to touch her, you have to get past me first!" Zhen Youcai's eyes were firm and fearless.

A fierce battle is about to break out.

I looked at them anxiously, my heart filled with worry. At this moment, I noticed that some strange symbols appeared on the ground that had been illuminated by the Tianji Jade.

My heart was moved. Could it be...

I squatted down and carefully observed the symbols. I discovered that they weren't random, but rather arranged in a specific order. I tried to decipher them using my previously learned knowledge of celestial language, and gradually, I discovered that the symbols actually pointed in a certain direction within the library!

Is there some secret hidden there?

I immediately told Elder Mo Yin and Zhen Youcai about my discovery.

"Okay, let's go and take a look!" Old Man Mo Yin made a prompt decision and took us in the direction indicated by the symbol.

We walked through layers of bookshelves and finally arrived at the deepest part of the library, where there was only an empty wall.

"How could this happen?" I was full of doubts.

Old man Mo Yin observed the wall carefully. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand and pressed lightly on an inconspicuous brick.

Rumbling--

The wall slowly opened, revealing a deep secret passage...

"Let's go!" Old Man Mo Yin walked into the secret passage without hesitation. Zhen Youcai and I followed closely behind him, entering this unknown darkness.

The secret passage was pitch black, and we could only grope our way forward. After walking for an unknown amount of time, a faint light finally appeared ahead.

We quickened our pace and came to the light, where the view suddenly opened up.

This is a spacious stone chamber. In the center of the chamber stands a stone table, on which stands an ancient book.

The book exuded a faint golden light. There was no text on the cover, but it gave people a feeling of vastness and mystery.

"This is..." I covered my mouth in surprise. Could this be the legendary...

"The Book of Heaven." Old Man Mo Yin said in a serious tone, his eyes full of awe.

We walked cautiously to the stone table and opened the heavenly book...

The pages of the heavenly book shimmered with a golden hue, feeling cold to the touch yet possessing a strange warmth. Strange symbols slithered across the pages, seemingly alive. I recognized none of them, yet I could almost sense the immense power they held.

"This...how should I interpret this?" I muttered to myself, feeling both excited and nervous.

Elder Mo Yin took a deep breath, his expression solemn. "The words on this heavenly book are not something that mortals like us can easily understand. But I have seen similar records in an ancient book. Perhaps..."

Before he could finish his words, the Book of Heaven suddenly trembled violently, emitting a dazzling golden light that blinded me. A powerful force toppled us to the ground, and I felt as if I were being violently flung outward by an invisible hand.

"Mengmeng!" Zhen Youcai exclaimed and reached out to grab me, but was bounced away by the force.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself thrown into the corner of the stone chamber, my whole body aching. I struggled to get up, only to see an even more shocking scene.

The stone table that had originally held the Heavenly Book was now shattered, and the Book was suspended in mid-air, flickering with golden light, and the surrounding air seemed to be distorted. Elder Mo Yin sat cross-legged on the ground, a trace of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, clearly suffering from internal injuries.

"Master!" I hurried to old man Mo Yin and helped him up.

"It's okay," Old Man Mo Yin waved his hands, his voice weak, "I just tried to pry into the secrets of heaven, and I got backlashed..."

He looked up at the heavenly book that exuded powerful strength, his eyes filled with worry. "It seems that we have underestimated the power of this heavenly book. With our current abilities, we are unable to control it."

Zhen Youcai also came over, his brows furrowed. "Are you just going to give up like this?"

"Of course not!" A trace of determination flashed in the eyes of the old man Mo Yin. "Although I cannot decipher the contents of the Heavenly Book, I remember reading in an ancient book that there is a Taoist priest named Qingfeng who lives in seclusion on Qingfeng Mountain and is proficient in the ancient art of Qimen Dunjia. Perhaps he can help us..."

"Master Qingfeng?" I repeated the name, a glimmer of hope rising in my heart.

"Without further delay, we will set off to Qingfeng Mountain and ask for help from Taoist Qingfeng!" said Old Man Mo Yin as he was about to stand up.

"Master, you need to rest now..."

"It's too late," Elder Mo Yin shook his head, his expression serious. "The appearance of the Heavenly Book will inevitably lead to a fight among various forces. We must uncover the secrets of the Heavenly Book before they do..."

Before he could finish his words, a flurry of chaotic footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the stone chamber, accompanied by the sound of weapons clashing, getting closer and closer...

Elder Mo Yin's expression changed, "Oh no, they're chasing us!"

He grabbed my hand and Zhen Youcai's hand and said hurriedly, "Follow me!"

Without giving it any time to think, the three of us immediately ran towards the other side of the stone chamber. There was a narrow passage there, and we didn't know where it led to...

"Hurry! There's no time to explain, we must hurry..." Old Man Mo Yin urged. His voice suddenly stopped, and he turned back abruptly to look into the depths of the passage, his eyes full of horror.

Zhen Youcai and I followed his gaze and saw...