Chapter Nine, The Celestial Book and the Celestial Maiden

Ah! Such a distant matter, my dear mother cannot explain it all to you in a short time, so let me just give you a brief overview!" Princess Yuxuan looked at Xiao Hanyu and after a moment, spoke slowly.

She suddenly realized that this is the ancient times! The era of pure cold weapons, where competition prevails and the strong are revered. No wonder her mother insisted that she learn martial arts! She even explained this to a child just over four years old.

She widened her eyes and stared at her mother, waiting for her to continue. She believed that her mother must be a person with a great story, something she had known since she arrived in this world four years ago. Yet, she had never been able to uncover it.

Princess Yuxuan discerned Xiao Hanyu's disbelief and smiled as she continued, "Yuer, do not underestimate this 'Wordless Heavenly Book.' It is indeed a treasure of prosperity for our Celestial Empire. It is said that over two hundred years ago, the founding emperor of the Celestial Empire relied on it to establish the nation, and since then, the Celestial Empire has ruled this land for a full two hundred and twenty years. What does this indicate? It is said that he who possesses the Heavenly Book will possess the world."

She believed those things were all fictional, never expecting that such things actually existed in this world. However, she thought they were merely treasures, secret manuals, or the like, and she had little interest in hearing about them.

She was foolish; she initially thought it was just a story, but now it has become about her.

What is the origin of the celestial maiden? Xiao Hanyu wanted to thoroughly understand whether it was as she thought.

Yuer! How easy it is to talk about! Sometimes, good and bad are just two sides of the same coin; it is with this in hand that I have survived until now! The Princess Yuxuan's expression was one of profound weariness. Her tone was filled with deep exhaustion and helplessness

Xiao Hanyu was taken aback; she never expected that his mother was a princess of the Celestial Empire, the princess of a country that had been fallen for over a decade

"Indeed, it is with me. Had I not taken this book, perhaps I would have long since led a peaceful life, and would not have attracted so many calamities." Princess Yuxuan sighed as she looked at Hanyu's foolish expression.

But she never expected that her little mother was actually a princess from a fallen kingdom, and she nearly fainted in a splendid manner. This was too shocking.

Hmm! Princess Yuxuan nodded

Princess Yuxuan spoke eloquently, while Xiao Hanyu listened quietly, becoming increasingly moved as he heard more. Every chaotic era has its own causes for disorder, and the catalyst for the turmoil in the Heavenly Dynasty was the mysterious death of Emperor Tianxiao, which surprisingly stemmed from a book

Mother said that the 'wordless heavenly book' was brought by the celestial maiden? How did Xiao Hanyu discern some clues from it?

Xiao Hanyu scoffed at this. What kind of 'wordless heavenly book' is that? She used to read martial arts novels often, by Uncle Jin Yong, Uncle Gu Long, and Uncle Liang Yusheng. It is said to be a martial arts manual that allows one to dominate the world. I wonder if what her mother referred to is something of that nature

Over the past few years, she has gained a general understanding of this world from books, and she believed that her mother was merely a princess from one of the five nations who had fallen into exile

"Ah? Mother said she comes from the heavens?" Xiao Hanyu was stunned

But just look at how impressive they are? They arrived with such grandeur, descending from the sky onto a battlefield of thousands, it's exhilarating to think about! Unlike her, who is actually trapped within the body of an infant.

Mother! Please speak quickly! Hurry up! Xiao Hanyu is dying of curiosity, after all, her current identity is that of a royal descendant!

Yuer, this is the reason your mother has always insisted that you learn martial arts. You are my daughter, and there is no denying that the blood of the Celestial Empire flows through your veins. This is something you cannot change, no matter how unwilling you may be. We are not meant to stay here for long; as long as they do not obtain the Heavenly Book, they will not give up. Your mother has a feeling that our comfortable days may soon come to an end. At that time, your mother hopes you will be able to protect yourself.

The celestial maiden departs? Xiao Hanyu focused his attention on these few words, looking at Princess Yuxuan with confusion

Indeed! My mother forgot to tell you that the Celestial Maiden is the Ancestor Empress, revered by the world as the Celestial Maiden. She came bearing the 'Wordless Heavenly Book' to assist the Ancestor Emperor Huangdi in establishing the Celestial Dynasty. Unfortunately, the Celestial Maiden came with a divine mandate and ultimately had to return to the Heavenly Court. The Ancestor Emperor, burdened by excessive worries, soon followed her after her departure.

Then just give them the book! Xiao Hanyu thought, wouldn't that be safe? She certainly did not want to be chased for the rest of her life

Um! Xiao Hanyu nodded quickly

Heavens! Xiao Hanyu was drenched in cold sweat upon hearing this; she understood somewhat that those individuals desired that book, which meant that as long as they did not obtain it in a day, her mother's life would still be safe

Xiao Hanyu was truly at a loss whether to laugh or cry. She found it strange that there could be something in this world called 'wordless heavenly book.' It seems that the celestial maiden was, like her, not a person from this world.

Ah! Yuer! What did you tell your mother? Princess Yuxuan looked at Hanyu's bright, shining eyes and smiled as she sighed.

Indeed!

Xiao Hanyu looked at her with confusion, wondering what kind of book this was, as the harm it posed was unexpectedly significant

What? Xiao Hanyu was momentarily taken aback upon hearing this. His mother has this book in her hands?

That book! It's with me, sighed Princess Yuxuan

My ancestors, the Xiao family of the Heavenly Dynasty, I believe you have learned a bit from reading over the past few years. They ruled this continent for more than 200 years, spanning 25 generations of emperors. The last two emperors were my father and brother. That year... Princess Yuxuan's gentle voice was filled with a dreamy expression

Where has that 'Wordless Book of Heaven' gone now? Xiao Hanyu recalled that the Celestial Empire had fallen for more than ten years, and she wanted to see what that book was all about; perhaps it truly was something from the twenty-first century

Of course, the celestial maiden comes from the heavens, doesn't she? Princess Yuxuan looked at Xiao Hanyu with a puzzled expression. Wasn't what she said clear enough?

Princess Yuxuan's words were laden with meaning. Seeing her sorrowful expression, Hanyu felt it was inappropriate to inquire further, fearing it might reopen her emotional wounds. She understood that kind of pain, so even though she was curious, she could not bring herself to press on.

Xiao Hanyu remained silent, and Princess Yuxuan continued: "It is truly a pity that after the founding emperor, the celestial maidens departed, and this wordless heavenly scripture has become incomprehensible to anyone. Everyone wishes to glimpse it, yet no one can truly understand it anymore. The wordless heavenly scripture has lost its value, but at the same time, it has become even more mysterious, leading everyone to desire it. Moreover, the Celestial Empire has seen several successive rulers who neglected their duties, causing the empire to gradually decline. This ultimately led to the downfall of the Celestial Empire fifteen years ago."

It is said that at that time, the founding emperor was engaged in a campaign against Yanque City, which had been under siege for a long time without success

What? Is it really like this? Xiao Hanyu was once again stunned. In the past, when she took breaks, she often read time-travel novels. The law of time travel is that the female protagonist appears at the most critical moment, usually falling into the male protagonist's arms

It is said to be a treasure of the Celestial Empire that everyone desires, and it is surprisingly called the 'Wordless Heavenly Book.' 'Wordless Heavenly Book'? Haha! How ridiculous! Isn't that a name only found in martial arts novels? Could it be that there is one here as well

"How does Yu'er know?" Princess Yuxuan exclaimed in surprise, her eyes widening.

Think about it, that is a heavenly book that everyone is vying for! There is no wall that does not let the wind through in this world. The fall of the Heavenly Dynasty and the news of the heavenly book being in my hands became known to the world within a month... Sigh! Since then, I have not had a single day of peace. Except for... those three years in the Qing royal palace of the Wind Kingdom... However, good dreams are the easiest to awaken from!

Oh dear! She is still a descendant of royalty! A rather good background, yet how can she be so unfortunate? She is someone who has been running away since birth, and now she is being sought after by people she doesn't even know all over the world. This realization is truly uncomfortable; one can never know when her life might be in danger

What was she like when she arrived? Did anyone see her fly down from the sky?" Xiao Hanyu was eager to know

At that moment, the celestial maiden fell from the sky and landed in the arms of the founding emperor " Xiao Hanyu interjected.

So it turns out that Yu'er was just guessing? It startled Mother. Princess Yuxuan calmed down a bit