Chapter 2, so this is how it is

Gazing at the sunlight filtering down onto the lake's surface, Lu Bing suddenly felt a strong desire to survive. He was only sixteen, in the prime of his youth, and had not yet seen enough of this vibrant world outside. How could he bear to leave it all behind? If only he could live again, how wonderful that would be

Just now, Zhu Houzhong mentioned that he had saved him, indicating that the days ahead will not be too difficult. Although Zhu Houzhong stated that the royal mansion is merely a hollow shell, a lean camel is still larger than a horse; after all, a feudal prince is still a feudal prince.

Beneath the mask was a delicate-looking young boy, appearing to be around twelve or thirteen years old. The boy laughed heartily and said to Lu Bing, "Brother Bing, you still have such courage." However, Lu Bing forced a smile, thinking to himself, "I almost wet my pants out of fear"

In addition, Lu Bing's life was quite relaxed. Lu Song encouraged Lu Bing to practice martial arts. Although Lu Bing's mindset had changed, his body remained that of the original Lu Bing, which was remarkably strong, capable of performing stances and stone locks with ease. Furthermore, Lu Bing employed many modern training methods, such as running, push-ups, and sit-ups, which made his physique even stronger, much to Lu Song's satisfaction

Lu Bing almost burst out laughing; this guy wouldn't lose even if he died of fright. Just after waking up, he starts pretending to be something he is not, which is unacceptable. Therefore, Lu Bing said: "Confucius said, do not pretend to be something you are not, or you will be struck by lightning."

The young man was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter, then he patted Lu Bing's shoulder and said: "Brother Bing, I am increasingly enjoying spending time with you. Although we had a good relationship before, you were like an old sage, quite rigid. Now it's much better; this is the kind of dialogue that brothers should have. Oh, by the way, my name is Zhu Houzhong. Don't rush, take your time to think, and you'll remember soon enough. However, you need to maintain this state you are in right now."

"You don't even recognize me anymore. Are you really not well?" the young man exclaimed, "I thought you were just pretending to be sick."

Lu Bingai in this era, possesses a strong physique, unique ideas, consumes organic food, breathes unpolluted air, boasts about things unheard of by others, and has a remarkably admiring younger brother, Zhu Houzhong. Most importantly, he has that exceedingly lovely little girl, Xiao Rui.

Lu Bing nodded in confusion. After Zhu Houzong left, he lay back down on the bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, sorting through the information he had just learned. It turned out that he was a descendant of an official family, now the child of a prince's guard, and he was also a milk brother to this Prince Xing, Zhu Houzong. It seemed their relationship was quite good.

Lu Bing was taken aback and immediately asked several questions: "Are we milk brothers? Father? Who are you? Moreover, our family has held official positions for hundreds of years, how is it that we are getting worse off, to the point of becoming personal bodyguards?"

The Taoist did not understand, he merely nodded and said: "It seems that the young benefactor is well now, it appears that my magical powers are indeed formidable. As the saying goes, righteousness prevails over evil, and so it is. I will go inform your father."

The Lu family possesses a legendary technique known as the Thirteen Deadly Blades, which has been passed down through generations. By the time it reached Lu Song's generation, only three blades remained. It is not particularly difficult to practice; Lu Bing could not recall the movements, but after Lu Song demonstrated them once, Lu Bing learned them instantly. His body had already developed a conditioned reflex, allowing him to practice as smoothly as flowing water.

Lu Bing often told Zhu Houzong about "Harry Potter" and "Transformers," leaving Zhu Houzong in a state of astonishment, exclaiming: In this vast world, there is no lack of wonders.

Lu Bing remembered that in Stephen Chow's movie "Kung Fu", the character Fire Cloud Evil God said a line, which also seems to appear in Gu Long's books. The line is as follows: "In the world of martial arts, there is nothing that cannot be broken, only speed that cannot be surpassed"

"What is a prince?" Zhu Houzhong asked, then continued, "The strange term you just used should refer to a vassal king, right? However, others usually address us vassal kings as 'Your Highness.'" Zhu Houzhong's comprehension was quite strong, as he quickly translated Lu Bing's words into a more universally understood language

In other words, speed is the key to victory; as long as one is faster than the opponent, one can win. Thus, Lu Bing revised the remaining three strikes, emphasizing three words: speed, accuracy, and ferocity. He intensified his training in precision and strength, and his eyesight also improved significantly during this process. Lu Song did not adhere to conventional methods in martial arts training, allowing Lu Bing to pursue his innovative approach. In just a month, Lu Bing's skills had already surpassed those of Lu Song, leaving Lu Song greatly astonished.

The Taoist glanced back and ran even faster. After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, my father and mother hurried in, presumably having given the Taoist money to send this "great deity" away. Joy was evident on my parents' faces, a genuine expression born from familial affection and heartfelt concern, devoid of any pretense. Lu Bing felt a warm sensation in his heart, the feeling of home.

The young man spoke: "Your surname is Lu, your name is Lu Bing, and your father's name is Lu Song"

Lu Bing listened to Zhu Houzhong's account and learned that Zhu Houzhong's life was not particularly easy. His education was not much better than his own; he had merely hired a rural schoolmaster to teach, and that old scholar was quite rigid, which caused Zhu Houzhong great distress. Moreover, Zhu Houzhong's mother had given birth to four children, all of whom, except for Zhu Houzhong, had died young. Therefore, Zhu Houzhong regarded Lu Bing as his only friend and his own elder brother

Although Zhu Houzong did not die like his three siblings, he was frail and often ill. Therefore, Lu Bing began to teach Zhu Houzong how to exercise and explained to him the principles of strengthening the body. Indeed, after a period of exercise, Zhu Houzong's health improved significantly, no longer resembling his previous weak condition

A hearty laugh suddenly erupted from the ghost face at the entrance, followed by a pair of small hands reaching out to push the ghost face above their head. It turned out to be just a mask, but in this particular situation, it was mistaken for a real ghost and a manifestation of the supernatural.

In the next half month, Lu Bing endured quite a bit of beating. Although his mother kept advising him that it was just a phase and he would forget it, Lu Song simply could not accept the reality that Lu Bing had to start learning from scratch.

Lu Bing recalled the scene when he fell into the water. He had come to the lakeside with his classmates, where a thin layer of ice had formed. Lu Bing advised them not to go onto the ice, but two classmates did not listen and ended up falling into the icy water. As they struggled, the hole in the ice grew larger. Lu Bing selflessly jumped into the lake to save them, rescuing both classmates, but he himself felt only "so cold!" This was the only sensation Lu Bing experienced at that moment. The icy water pierced through him like needles, causing him great discomfort, but soon that discomfort faded as his body lost all sensation. Eventually, Lu Bing's strength was exhausted, and he sank towards the bottom of the lake. Lu Bing smiled; at least his friends were saved, and his life could be considered a valuable sacrifice. Moreover, he had no particular attachments in this world. However, there was still a sense of unwillingness in Lu Bing's heart. He was not unattractive, and he had not yet had a girlfriend before his demise, which felt like a great loss.

"Wow, this is quite a lot of information," Lu Bing murmured, and after a moment, he added, "So, does that mean you are a prince now?"

Lu Song had Lu Bing stand up, believing that Lu Bing had indeed recovered. He nodded in approval and said, "My son, there is no need for such formality. This time, you have indeed made a contribution. Since you are well, go and study. Tomorrow, I will examine your studies."

It turns out it was to save him, but who is he? Lu Bing scratched his head and said, "Well, this little friend, no, I mean this young brother, who are you?"

"Wait a moment, stop right there, I already know all of this, let's change the topic," Lu Bing said

Then Lu Bing arrived in the Ming Dynasty, and this time travel was truly timely

Lu Bingzheng was lost in thoughts of the past when he suddenly heard a noise at the door. He sat up and couldn't help but smile, realizing that he had forgotten about the Taoist priest who had fainted earlier while they were talking. At that moment, the Taoist priest had already regained consciousness, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, and awkwardly looked at Lu Bingzheng, then raised his voice and said: "Wuliang Tianzun, are you feeling better now?"

I will never leave, even if it kills me, Lu Bing thought with a smile

After his parents entered the house, Lu Bing performed a deep bow and said: "Dear Father, Mother, I have caused you both worry. I am an unfilial child; please punish me, my parents." Lu Bing tried his best to articulate his words carefully, hoping to reassure his parents.

The young man, not at all annoyed, laughed and said: "After all, your family has been in official positions for generations, amounting to nearly several hundred years. Later, your father succeeded your grandfather's position, becoming a court attendant and then was chosen by my father to be a personal guard. Although he is called a personal guard, in our royal residence, it is merely a nominal position with not many people, so your father is both my father's attendant and a martial arts instructor overseeing the courtyard, while also being my father's close friend. The two of them, one master and one servant, treat each other with mutual respect. After I was born, Aunt Lu, oh, that is your mother, became my wet nurse, making us brothers of the same milk but different mothers. That is basically the situation."

Zhu Houzhong sighed and said: "Alas, you have forgotten this as well. My father passed away not long ago, and it has been more than five months. After my father's death, he was posthumously honored with the title of Xian Wang. In the twenty-third year of the Chenghua era, my father was conferred the title of Xing Wang, so he is referred to as Xing Xian Wang. After my father departed, I succeeded to the throne, thus I am known as Xing Wang."

However, Lu Bing is ultimately a high school student under the sunlight of socialism. After nine years of compulsory education, Lu Bing's learning ability is quite remarkable. He can recognize most traditional Chinese characters, although he still has some issues with writing. However, reading is no longer a significant problem. Gradually, the beatings have decreased, and seeing Lu Bing master his studies has brought a smile to Lu Song's face.

Zhu Houzhong, this name sounds familiar, but I cannot recall who it is at the moment. However, I can be certain that he must be of royal descent. Zhu Houzhao is the current emperor, and Lu Bing already knows this. Both he and Zhu Houzhong share the same character 'Huo' in their names, which suggests they should be cousins. Suddenly, Lu Bing realizes that, considering Zhu Houzhong's age, he must be the child of a prince. Therefore, Lu Bing raised his hand to greet him, and then remembered that during the Ming Dynasty, people would clasp their hands in salute, so he clasped his hands and said: "So you are the heir apparent." Zhu Houzhao is the current emperor, and Lu Bing already knows this. Both he and Zhu Houzhong share the same character 'Huo' in their names, which suggests they should be cousins. Suddenly, Lu Bing realizes that, considering Zhu Houzhong's age, he must be the child of a prince. Therefore, Lu Bing raised his hand to greet him, and then remembered that during the Ming Dynasty, people would clasp their hands in salute, so he clasped his hands and said: "So you are the heir apparent."

Zhu Houzhong saw Lu Bing still sitting there, digesting his words, and then patted Lu Bing on the shoulder, saying: "Don't worry, you'll remember everything. You should rest for now; I'll come back to play with you tomorrow"

"I can't believe it, am I just pretending to be sick? Look, we are about the same age, and you said I even saved your life. So tell me, what exactly is going on? What is the current situation?" Lu Bing said.

The young man walked into the room, sat down on the chair, and said: "Are you feeling better, Brother Bing? I am completely fine now. That day, I owe my life to you for saving me; otherwise, I would have drowned. Let’s not say anything more about it. I will try my best to avoid causing trouble in the future"

In addition to literary talent and military prowess, Lu Bing spent his days in the company of Zhu Houzong. Although the two were publicly known as master and servant, they referred to each other as brothers in private. Their already deep bond grew even stronger as Lu Bing became more humorous and witty, often delivering clever remarks.

The old man let out a sob and then fainted, while Lu Bing stood frozen in place, too afraid to move. If it weren't for the bright daylight and the fact that Lu Bing had received modern education that challenged feudal beliefs, he might have also fainted from fright.

The Taoist priest spoke and then took off running, probably in a hurry to collect his payment. Lu Bing chose not to expose him; it was better to muddle through than to be treated as a monster. There was no rush, and he would gradually inquire about the situation from Xiao Rui and Zhu Houzhong. However, Lu Bing couldn't help but shout at the retreating figure of the Taoist: "Old Daoist with the cow's nose, don't deceive people anymore, or the great deity will have to scare you. Also, a Taoist should not call others 'benefactor.'"

Lu Bing wished he could slap himself hard; reading those articles that were as incomprehensible as celestial scripts was worse than being treated as a monster