Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl
Chapter 132 Bumped into Princess Yongning Herself【2nd Update】

Chapter 132: 132 Bumped into Princess Yongning Herself【2nd Update】

If that peculiar dagger truly was a relic of the King of Yan, then they could easily transport it out of Yan City and sell it off in Wanta Country, making a fortune in the process.

During the Ning Dynasty Period, Shenzhou was so powerful that cultural relics from that time were always considered to have the highest value for collectors.

"Alright, you guys scout the location first. Tomorrow, when that little girl is alone, kidnap her," the middle-aged man assigned tasks to his subordinates, "Have her hand over the dagger. Our target is only the item; we want to avoid injuring anyone if possible."

However, the young man said, "Boss, Xiao Peng mentioned that the girl is really pretty. We could kidnap her as well, maybe exchange her for something else."

"Fine," the middle-aged man nodded. "The primary target is the dagger; she’s secondary. Do not confuse the priorities."

Perhaps they really were about to stumble upon a fortune this time. Later, they could contact a few buyers and negotiate a good price before washing their hands of this business for good.

The middle-aged man knew all too well the risks involved in this line of work.

Seeking wealth in danger is not wrong, but one must be even more cautious, as a single misstep could lead to irredeemable consequences.

**

Perhaps it was finally returning to her homeland that allowed Ye Wanlan to sleep unusually soundly.

A dreamless night passed, and when she opened her eyes, it was already dawn, with the sunlight shining brightly.

After freshening up, Ye Wanlan pushed open the door of her room to find a tall figure already standing outside.

The man’s body carried the fresh scent of green grass in the morning, and his silver-white hair was also covered with a layer of dew.

He was holding a bag and, upon seeing her come out, he handed it over: "Freshly baked pastries."

Ye Wanlan nodded her thanks: "Thank you."

After finishing the breakfast that Yan Tingfeng had brought for her, they went to the meeting point together.

Upon seeing Ye Wanlan, Professor Xue’s face immediately blossomed into a smile.

The morning’s itinerary was still within the Inner City of Yan City, where many ancient sites had been well-preserved and turned into tourist attractions.

"This afternoon we’ll be heading to the Outer City. Everyone must stick together and not wander off," Professor Xue announced with a megaphone. "And don’t accept food from strangers—be careful you don’t wake up."

The team members took this seriously.

"Alright, let’s eat first," Professor Xue waved grandly. "After a good meal, we’ll continue our ’battle’."

After he said this, he immediately headed towards Ye Wanlan with his bag: "Let’s eat together! What should we eat? How about—"

Yan Tingfeng leaned against a tree, blinked gently, and interrupted Professor Xue’s next words: "Professor, your phone is vibrating."

"Ah?" Professor Xue felt his pocket and indeed found his phone vibrating.

The caller ID showed "Professor Foo" and there had already been three calls.

Professor Xue answered quickly: "Hello? What am I doing? I’m leading a team! What? Tomb robbers again? Such bad luck."

Professor Foo also grumbled a few words.

"How is your work progressing?" Professor Xue continued, "I’m planning to head into the mountains the day after tomorrow; I have a big discovery to tell you about."

"Not so good," sighed Professor Foo. "Well, when you come we can discuss it together. What’s this big discovery you mentioned?"

"Walls have ears, let’s talk when we meet," Professor Xue ended the call and turned back to invite Ye Wanlan, "Interested in taking a look at Yan Mountain?"

Ye Wanlan would not refuse: "Yes."

"Great, I’ll take you and Xiao Yan there, but you must stick close to me," Professor Xue nodded. "Yan Mountain’s magnetic field is very strange. Once inside, even a compass cannot determine directions, and cellphone signals periodically fail."

Ye Wanlan seemed contemplative: "The source can’t be traced?"

"Yes, we’ve never been able to trace it," Professor Xue slapped his hand decisively. "Just three months ago, Yan Mountain went five days without any signal at all, suggesting some kind of bizarre magnetic storm that prevented signals from being received or sent."

Ye Wanlan nodded: "Thank you, Professor. I understand."

Yan Mountain wasn’t like this in the past, with its pristine beauty and abundance of birds and flowers.

Even without field surveys, she knew this must be the aftermath of the great war that had occurred three hundred years ago.

Yet, the war had come so suddenly and the Ning Dynasty had fallen so abruptly that even today’s scholars could not deduce the enemy from that time or the causes of the war through historical traces.

"So make sure you stick close to me," Professor Xue cautioned once more. "These days are also peak sandstorm season; if anything were to happen to you, I couldn’t face your family."

Ye Wanlan nodded.

Seeing her obedient and gentle demeanor, Professor Xue finally relaxed.

Ye Wanlan asked, "What news did Professor Xue receive just now that made you so angry?"

"Because of tomb robbing! Old Foo mentioned that a few months ago, a tomb-robbing gang infiltrated Yan City, with a very vicious track record," said Professor Xue, still fuming with anger. "Several tombs that even we have not discovered were robbed by them!"

Archaeology and tomb robbing are worlds apart, two completely unrelated activities.

Archaeology aims to protect cultural artifacts, never taking the initiative to dig up ancient graves.

Instead, it involves repairing and maintaining these graves once they are exposed by environmental factors such as erosion.

Tomb robbers, on the other hand, are after the funerary items within the tombs. They show no regard for the destruction they cause, only seeking to take whatever they can.

It is no exaggeration to say that there are more people beneath Yan City than above it.

With Princess Yongning Xiang Lan and the King of Yan, He Jia, being such high-profile historical figures, tomb robbers watching the area are numerous and difficult to guard against.

In an instant, Ye Wanlan’s eyes changed, her aura no longer gentle. She asked softly, "Whose tomb is it?"

"The Archaeological Center has already sent people over, but for now, we don’t know whose tomb it is," Professor Xue shook his head and sighed. "Currently, we can only speculate based on the size of the tomb that it belonged to a fifth-rank official, probably someone who never had their name recorded in history."

After all, it was only during the Ning Dynasty Period that on the vast Shenzhou Land Continent, tens of thousands of officials could be found.

Only those who managed to have their names recorded in history were truly outstanding figures of their time.

Yet even for those historical figures whose names have been passed down through the ages, history books are unable to portray their epic and dramatic lives.

Moreover, many people’s stories have been buried by the relentless flow of history, only to be explored through archaeology to unearth their past lives.

Uncovering the truth of history and delving into its deeper layers, that is the significance of their archaeological work.

"I wonder how we could make those tomb robbers back off and stop," Professor Xue paced back and forth, hands behind his back, "They destroy ancient relics so brazenly without fear of divine retribution."

Ye Wanlan spoke coolly, "It’s quite simple, just kill them all, and scatter their remains to the winds."

Professor Xue almost jumped in shock, "What???"

"I apologize, Professor," Ye Wanlan said composedly, "I was just joking. You didn’t really believe me, did you?"

Professor Xue: "..."

She looked so serious; how could that have been a joke?!

Yan Tingfeng’s lips curved into a gentle smile, "I think Miss Ye’s suggestion is very good."

Professor Xue: "..."

No wonder Ye Wanlan was recommended by Tingfeng; birds of a feather flock together!

"Wanlan, and you, Xiao Yan, we must still obey the law," Professor Xue said earnestly, "I know that girls your age are full of impassioned justice, but you must be a good citizen."

Ye Wanlan nodded in agreement, "That is exactly the kind of citizen I am, you can rest assured, Professor."

Professor Xue looked at her silently, feeling as if the words "lawless thug" had already appeared before his eyes.

"Alright, alright, let’s stop here, I’ll go order some food for us," said Professor Xue, picking up his bag and walking ahead.

"Yan Mountain..." Ye Wanlan murmured, lifting her head.

Who knows what special discoveries she might find this time in Yan Mountain.

After dinner, Professor Xue also set aside thirty minutes for a break.

"Professor, I’m going out for a walk," Ye Wanlan said as she picked up a wine gourd left on the table.

After giving a slight nod to Professor Xue, she walked straight out of the restaurant and headed towards the Outer City.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Professor Xue called out to her anxiously, "Don’t go out alone. Wait for me—Xiao Yan, follow her quickly!"

Yan Tingfeng, however, shook his head slightly, "She seems to be in a bad mood, it’s better to let her be alone."

"I’m afraid she’ll get into trouble!" Professor Xue became even more anxious, "You know, within Yan City, only the Inner City is somewhat safer. The Outer City is so chaotic—what if she’s targeted by malicious people?"

"That could be a good thing. If she really encounters such people—" Yan Tingfeng raised his eyebrow slightly, "her mood might improve somewhat."

Professor Xue: "???"

Was he too old to keep up with the younger generation, or why couldn’t he understand a thing?

**

"Boss, the target is now alone."

"Roger that."

At this very moment, those lurking around Ye Wanlan were also following her out of the Outer City.

Seeing her sit down by the river and pour out the wine from the bottle onto the ground, the youths were puzzled.

"What is she doing?"

"She spilled the wine. It looks like she’s offering a sacrifice to someone?"

In Yan City, who would she be making a sacrifice to?

"Nevermind that, let’s secure her first to avoid any complications later," the leader of the youths instructed as the others quickly approached.

In the span of three seconds, Ye Wanlan found herself completely surrounded.

Her hand, which was clutching the wine gourd, paused as she slowly lifted her head.

"Young lady, I’ll spare you the nonsense," the youth spoke, "You bought something for five thousand yuan yesterday. Hand it over now, and you might keep your life."

"You want that dagger?" Ye Wanlan kept her cool.

Her calmness took the youths aback for a moment.

Seeing her utterly unmoved, the youths once more advanced, closing in step by step.

Ye Wanlan’s voice was faint, "What do you want the dagger for?"

"Cut the talk!" the leading youth’s eyes showed a fierce color, "Hand over what you bought yesterday morning. Otherwise, don’t hope to leave Yan City alive!"

They had been operating in this area for quite some time, and their network was everywhere.

The moment Ye Wanlan was alone for three seconds, they could quickly take control of her.

Even though Ye Wanlan remained unfazed, she even smiled indifferently, "You seem so eager, but do you know what the dagger is used for?"

With a flick of her wrist, a cold gleam of the dagger abruptly appeared.