### Chapter 5: The Lost Book of Prophecy
Mu Jixue and Lin Zhongyu were childhood friends for what felt like eons. Even after a little spat, they’d quickly patch things up. Now, holding hands and strolling out of the forest, it seemed like nothing unpleasant had ever happened.
Yet, deep down, Mu Jixue couldn’t shake off an uncomfortable feeling.
It was always Lin Zhongyu who shielded her, but today, because of some outsiders, Lin Zhongyu had lectured her! How could she not feel wronged? Ouch! The pain was too real! ╥﹏╥…
She was supposed to be Lin Zhongyu’s cherished childhood friend!
But she could also understand; after all, Lin Zhongyu had no idea about the Book of Prophecy. Looking at it from Mu Jixue’s perspective, it was indeed a bit unreasonable of her to lash out at the “good person.”
Taking a deep breath, Mu Jixue reassured herself.
No matter what, at least the bad things in the Book of Prophecy hadn’t happened! Lin Zhongyu was safe from any harm! That alone was the best outcome. If being scolded by Lin Zhongyu was the price to pay, she was willing to bear it.
From now on, she would cherish her childhood friend doubly, absolutely never letting her come to any harm!
“Eh?”
In the midst of her contemplation, Mu Jixue suddenly halted, her expression turning pale as she began rummaging through her belongings, as if she had lost something crucial.
Her bizarre behavior caught Lin Zhongyu’s attention.
“What’s wrong, Xue’er?”
Lin Zhongyu blinked her golden eyes curiously. Seeing Mu Jixue searching frantically and on the verge of tears was a sight to behold. “Xiao Yu, I… I think I lost something super important!”
…
Meanwhile, at the gates of Cangzhou City, Yun Zhonghe was in shock, having picked up a blue-covered ancient notebook that lay on the ground.
His heart raced with excitement as he recognized it — this was a crucial item from the game!
This notebook was the only item carried by the player-controlled character, Huang Aotian, at the start of the game; it was solely for players to check story routes and reminisce about events that had occurred.
In simple terms, it was for enjoying CGs and recalling H scenes.
Beyond that, it had no real use in the game.
But why was this game item lying here in the real world? And why was it on the ground?
“Could it be a drop from Huang Aotian…” Yun Zhonghe muttered.
Instinctively, he crouched down to pick it up, but the moment his hand touched the notebook, he felt something amiss.
This was Huang Aotian’s item! Since he had decided to stay far away from the main cast, it was best not to tempt fate by touching items related to Huang Aotian or harbor any ill intentions.
So, he prepped to pull back his hand.
But the next second, the notebook suddenly transformed into a beam of golden light, shooting up Yun Zhonghe’s arm and diving straight into his Sea of Consciousness.
“What the heck?! What’s happening?!”
Yun Zhonghe was taken aback, but it was too late; the notebook had firmly embedded itself in his mind like a pesky mosquito.
“Get out! I swear Huang Aotian will chop me if she finds out I stole her item!”
Panic-stricken, he tried to use his spiritual energy to force the power of the notebook out of his Sea of Consciousness. But the moment his spiritual energy touched it, it was sucked in instead, quickly assimilated.
Yes, the notebook had willingly been refined!
Yun Zhonghe’s jaw nearly hit the floor, completely dumbfounded, unable to find words.
He truly didn’t mean to steal from Huang Aotian! It was the notebook that took the first step!
As the notebook refined itself, a jumble of fragmented information began to flood Yun Zhonghe’s mind.
【On the first day of obtaining this notebook, my cultivation level bound itself to Huang Aotian’s. Whatever her cultivation level is, mine will be the same. I can never surpass her, but she can straight-up one-shot me. Does this mean I’ll never be able to beat her?】
Yun Zhonghe thought he was hallucinating. He slapped his forehead, only to receive another message.
【On the tenth day of obtaining this notebook, I’m packed and ready to flee from the main cast. I plan to move to a branch of the Yun family for a while.】
“This is… a prophecy of the future?”
Quick-witted as he was, Yun Zhonghe immediately grasped the meaning of these messages.
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a vast power erupting from the notebook, surging through his body, and in an instant, his cultivation level skyrocketed to the third level of Foundation Establishment.
The first prophecy came true!
He broke through without resistance, and not just that—he had jumped four levels! Even Huang Aotian wouldn’t be this overpowered!
Joy flooded Yun Zhonghe’s heart as he basked in the exhilaration of leveling up, but the next second, his spirits plummeted.
【On the hundredth day of obtaining this notebook, I encountered Huang Aotian again, and… I died.】
Yun Zhonghe: ???
Wait, just like that? No details at all? Just died?
He was slightly dazed. Just as he prepared to investigate further to uncover the reason for his predicted demise, he sensed Huang Aotian’s presence nearby.
Now that he was bound to her cultivation level, he could directly sense her position and distance.
Oh no! If Huang Aotian found out he had taken her item, she’d definitely make things difficult for him!
Yun Zhonghe felt like crying; he really didn’t want to provoke Huang Aotian. Yet, fate had a funny way of slapping him in the face, dragging him into this mess.
“Forget about it for now! I can’t let Huang Aotian find out I have her stuff!”
Using the classic thirty-six stratagems, he decided to rush home to sift through some ancient texts to look for a way to break the binding and return the Book of Prophecy to Huang Aotian.
At the same time, he was incredibly curious about why he would d*e in the future.
Yun Zhonghe made a quick exit, and just a few minutes later, Lin Zhongyu and Mu Jixue arrived at the gates of Cangzhou City as well.
“Nope, I can’t find it anywhere!”
Mu Jixue looked utterly dejected, biting her lip in frustration. Clearly, she was anxious.
They had searched high and low but hadn’t spotted any trace of the Book of Prophecy. Mu Jixue felt ready to cry from her own foolishness. How could she misplace something so incredibly important?
She knew she always kept it securely, triple-checking that it wouldn’t fall out. How could she still lose it?
“Xue’er, don’t worry, I’ll help you look again. It’s probably just nearby,” Lin Zhongyu said, her voice soothing. “No matter how many times it takes, I’ll be right there with you.”
Her promise was sincere and deep, wrapping around Mu Jixue’s heart like a warm blanket, easing her worries.
Indeed, Xiao Yu was the best for her.
Mu Jixue cast a deep glance at Lin Zhongyu, her mood lightening a bit. “Okay, let’s retrace our steps. If we really can’t find it, it’s not the end of the world. It’s not a huge deal.”
One could only respect Huang Aotian — able to pick up and let go.
Besides, for her, as long as Lin Zhongyu was safe, that was more than enough.
