Chapter 6: 第三章 鲁公秘录

Seeing his hostile tone, Zhen Yue was instantly consumed by rage. But on second thought, she was an adult after all and couldn't stoop to the level of a rude child. In truth, everything he said made sense. With a sigh, she tossed aside the dry firewood, tightened her padded jacket, and squatted beside the boy. "Thank you for saving me today. My name is Zhen Yue. What is your name?" She then extended her slender, pale hand in a very friendly manner.

The boy moved a little further away, casting a look of disdain at the small hand illuminated by the moonlight. Although he found this kid strange, he thought for a moment and replied concisely, "Chou Sheng."

"What a name, brimming with resentment. Who named you that? Where are your parents?" She withdrew her hand and asked with concern.

Chou Sheng's lowered eyes trembled slightly. The darkness concealed his flushed cheeks and tightly clenched fists. He turned his head away, refusing to pay any more attention to the well-meaning Zhen Yue. Zhen Yue shrugged; seeing that he was unwilling to respond, she didn't press further. She walked lightly toward a small ditch, hoping to use the faint moonlight to see what this body looked like.

"Pfft!" Zhen Yue nearly tumbled into the ditch from fright. Though the moonlight was dim, it was enough for her to catch a blurry glimpse: a face covered in cracked bloodstains, features somewhat distorted, hair disheveled and filthy—she looked more terrifying than a ghost.

Bending over, she hurriedly washed her face. As the blood washed away, her skin revealed a healthy, pale pink glow. *Eh?* Something hard was pressing against her chest. Confused, she fished out the culprit. She had been so preoccupied with escaping for her life that she hadn't noticed something hidden in her bosom. She estimated that she might be able to use this to investigate the identity of this body, as well as the man who had risked his life to protect her. Suppressing her pain, she hurriedly scrutinized herself under the moonlight.

It was high-quality Northwest deerhide. Peeling back the layers, half of a book fragment was revealed. The book was actually only half a volume, with a clear, clean cut through the middle, yet the edges were very smooth, suggesting it had been preserved exceptionally well. She looked at the text, which resembled earthworms, and suddenly felt that Heaven had truly forsaken this transmigrated Master's degree holder—she was destined to be illiterate.

While she was lamenting, Chou Sheng had approached at some unknown time. With immense strength, he snatched the book fragment away. His eyes were grim as he scanned the fragment quickly, his expression instantly turning into one of great shock.

Zhen Yue steadied herself and said indignantly, "What are you doing! Why are you stealing my things! You almost made me fall."

"Where did you get this book!" Chou Sheng's expression was dark and inscrutable, his entire being radiating a sense of scrutiny.

Zhen Yue froze for a moment, her brain working at high speed. This boy had a steady temperament and extraordinary skills; he was definitely no ordinary commoner. Now that he had seen this book, he had exposed all his emotions—it was safe to assume this book was a treasure.

Quickly and skillfully, she snatched the book fragment back, clutching it tightly to her chest. She said indignantly, "This is my family's heirloom. Don't you dare have any wicked ideas. You look like an upright person; you shouldn't be the type to commit murder and robbery."

Chou Sheng studied her thoughtfully and said, "Do you even know what this is? I think even if you leave the capital of Di, you are destined to die in a foreign land."

Zhen Yue's heart skipped a beat. Frowning her thin brows, she said, "Is it that serious? This book has always been kept by my father; I only just learned of its existence." She approached Chou Sheng and said with a fawning smile, "Why don't you tell me? I'm illiterate and uneducated."

A cold light flashed in Chou Sheng's eyes as he looked down at her. "You are wearing high-grade Shu silk from the State of Shu, using Luo-patterned embroidery. Your hands have no calluses, they are slender, pale, and smooth. You are either from the imperial family or high nobility. Members of the imperial or noble families learn to read at two and horsemanship at five. You don't know how to read? Do you think I'll believe that?"

Zhen Yue lowered her eyes to hide the chill within. This boy's mind was terrifyingly meticulous. If she didn't have twenty-some years of life experience, she likely wouldn't have been able to withstand his overwhelming aura.

*Bang!* Zhen Yue curled her lip and threw the book fragment to the ground, resorting to the tactic of throwing a tantrum. Blinking her large, misty eyes, she said aggrievedly, "Believe it or not, it's up to you. I've been weak since childhood; my father kept me in my room all day to recover, so I never learned to read or practice martial arts. Just as my health improved, the city was massacred. Are you looking down on me?" She grabbed the boy's coarse cloth trouser leg and said pitifully, "Brother, please don't despise me. I will study hard."

Chou Sheng was stunned. He pulled his trouser leg away and glanced at her. The cold wind caught a strand of her hair, and the thin moonlight illuminated the undried teardrops on her face. Her skin was as translucent as snow. He turned his head and said with disdain, "A man, crying all day like a little girl."

Zhen Yue picked up the book fragment. While wiping her tears with her sleeve, she held it up like a treasure and asked, "What are these large characters called?"

Chou Sheng stared intently at the surface of the fragment and said, word by word, "The Secret Records of Lord Lu."

"The Secret Records of Lord Lu!!" She let out a startled cry and roared, "The Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods! Oh my god! The era of dying young! Heavens! Are you kidding me!"

Chou Sheng recoiled a step like an arrow, looking at her as if she were a monster. He said disdainfully, "I don't know what kind of ghostly wailing you're doing. What 'Spring and Autumn and Warring States'? I've never heard of it."

Hearing this, Zhen Yue's eyes went wide. After a moment of being stunned, she suddenly acted like a small beast released from a cage. Grabbing the living person in front of her, she asked urgently, "What dynasty is it now? What is the Emperor's name?"

Chou Sheng brushed off her pale hand, smoothed his clothes, and gave her a disdainful look. His expression suddenly turned heavy as he looked at the scattered stars in the sky and said, "The Three-Way Stalemate has become a Four-Way Division of the world. North of the Ku'er River in the Hengshan Mountains is the State of Beiying. West of the Yue Mountains is the State of Shu. The current King of Shu is named Jiaye, who has reigned for eight years and changed the era name to Yongye. The capital of Di is a border city of the State of Shu. South of the river is the State of Tan, which split into East Tan and West Tan three months ago. The rest are merely minor vassal states, not worth mentioning."

Upon hearing this, she quickly searched through the five thousand years of familiar history in her mind. She was instantly moved to tears. Having arrived in a mysterious historical era, her future was bleak. Dying in a foreign land—she suddenly felt her fate was incredibly treacherous.

Seeing that Chou Sheng also looked heavy-hearted—she had sensed a bitterness in his words earlier—she realized she couldn't see through this deep-thinking boy, nor did she have the heart to worry about useless things. A thousand words could only be reduced to a single sigh.

Zhen Yue gripped the book fragment tightly and asked with a frown, "From what you say, can the Secret Records of Lord Lu bring about death?"

A bloodthirsty smile played at the corner of Chou Sheng's mouth, his expression cold. "The Secret Records of Lord Lu are a tool that can dominate the world and rival a million soldiers. What you hold in your hands is something sufficient to throw the whole world into chaos." Seeing her body tremble, he continued, "The Secret Records of Lord Lu disappeared from the land of Huaxia long after the fall of the Zhou Dynasty. They contain records of advanced military machinery as well as agricultural and commercial production tools. Any nation that obtains the Secret Records of Lord Lu will possess powerful military strength, wealth, and a strong populace, allowing them to march forth and take the world."

She suddenly felt as if the book fragment were as hot as a baked potato. But why would such an important thing be with a little girl? Who was she, really? Zhen Yue asked urgently, "Based on your analysis, since such an important thing has disappeared, why has it reappeared? Is there any news in the martial world?"

"Didn't you say this book is your family's heirloom? You should go ask the survivors of your clan."

For some reason, the image of the man who had sacrificed himself to save her surfaced in her mind. Zhen Yue said with a raspy voice, "In this world, I have no more relatives."

Chou Sheng shook his head. "Though you are young, you are not stupid at all, knowing to inquire about news in the martial world. You are nothing like a simple-minded child; perhaps you haven't told me a single word of truth."

Zhen Yue's heart sank. She thought to herself that he was truly a little fox; to be this difficult at such a young age, he would be terrifying when grown. The ancient world was truly not a place for modern people. She said coldly, "In this chaotic world, how many people can be trusted? Our meeting is a matter of fate. As long as we do not infringe upon each other's interests, it is fine. Even if you don't tell me, I will investigate myself." She turned and left, no longer paying him any attention.