Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl
Chapter 362 King of Yan and Prince of Chu [2 updates]

Chapter 362: 362 King of Yan and Prince of Chu [2 updates]

He would steadfastly honor the oath he once made, for his entire life, forever guarding the Southern Frontier.

Death, of course, would also find him on the battlefield.

At this moment, Xiang Qingtian was like a war god incarnate, valiant and invincible.

In his eagle-like eyes, there was no fear, and a faint smile still lingered on his lips.

Ye Wanlan stared blankly at that familiar face. In the six years after her departure, Xiang Qingtian hadn’t changed much and was still the elder who liked to tease her as he did in her memories.

She was not mistaken, this Gold-Inlaid Iron Hook truly belonged to the Prince of Chu, an antique.

She vaguely remembered Ning Zhaozong mentioning the origin of this Gold-Inlaid Iron Hook to her, it was a gift from him and the Prince of Chu’s father, the previous Emperor.

Among Zhaozong’s generation, the Prince of Chu was the youngest child and was the most favored by the late Emperor.

Thus, Xiang Qingtian also carried an air of arrogance.

The age of this Gold-Inlaid Iron Hook was the same as the Prince of Chu.

In front of Xiang Qingtian were the foreign enemies Wanlan had seen in her first retrospective of history.

Their attire was very modern, and their weapons were no longer firearms, but rather utilized light.

Ye Wanlan’s gaze sharpened.

But three hundred years ago, even the Northern Lands, which could compete with the Ning Dynasty to some extent, were still under the ancient imperial system, and it was impossible to be dressed like this.

Could it be that these enemies were related to the Nanling Sea?

"Xiang Qingtian, tell me, what do you gain by putting so much effort into guarding the Southern Frontier for your brother’s son?" the tall general laughed heartily, teasingly said, "More than twenty years ago, you were defeated by your brother, and now you still willingly lower yourself. With your strength, if you were to rebel against the Imperial Court, who would dare to utter a word?"

Ye Wanlan’s expression turned solemn, and her eyes gradually became more serious.

These enemies actually had a deep understanding of the intricate relationships within the Ning Dynasty at that time, including the struggles and conflicts between Xiang Qingtian and Ning Zhaozong.

Even she had only learned about the past events because Zhaozong occasionally talked to her about them.

But these enemies knew every detail about the Ning Dynasty from more than a decade ago.

Could it be that they had set their sights on Shenzhou even earlier?

Xiang Qingtian frowned, clearly realizing the enemies knew far too much about him.

"Prince of Chu, if you join us now, this general guarantees that the Ning Dynasty can still be left standing," the tall general’s smile deepened, "Afterwards, you can become the Emperor of the Ning Dynasty, taking the throne you’ve longed for."

"Ridiculous, whatever battles I have with the Imperial Court are my own business, what are you lot to intervene?" Xiang Qingtian scoffed coldly, "This Shenzhou Land Continent, how could it tolerate the insolence of your foreign kind!"

Indeed, he greatly desired the position above all others, but if the price was the division of Shenzhou, he would be the first to object.

The tall general did not expect Xiang Qingtian to reject the offer without hesitation and his smile faded, "Then, take your loyalty and become a lonely lost soul in death!"

"Buzz!"

The scene at that moment became completely fixed.

Ye Wanlan once again saw He Jia, who was crafting a mechanical contraption in his tent.

Suddenly receiving a message from the Prince of Chu over thousands of miles, he too was puzzled.

"Uncle Wang?"

He Jia’s voice came through the scene as well, clear and light. At this time, the Northwest had not been invaded by foreign enemies, and there was only the time of a stick of incense between then and now.

"I’m here." Xiang Qingtian drew his sword, "Nephew, there’s no time for more words. Pay close attention to every scene that follows."

Far in the Northwest, He Jia could clearly hear his words and see the blood on his face.

He Jia suddenly stood up: "Uncle Wang?!"

He knew Xiang Qingtian’s strength; it was impossible for anyone to inflict such wounds on him.

But then, He Jia saw another group of people in the scene.

At the same time, Ye Wanlan saw the words "chilled to the bone" on the face of her usually expressionless brother for the first time.

"Nephew, I want you to swear on your life to me, you cannot let these people invade Shenzhou." Xiang Qingtian spat out a mouthful of blood, his body pierced by swords, his breathing unsteady, his voice intermittent, "Do you hear me? Don’t forget your promise to me!"

The tall general lost his patience: "Kill him!"

The sound of flesh tearing apart made He Jia’s eyes red with rage: "Uncle Wang!"

"King of Yan!" Xiang Qingtian spat out another mouthful of blood, he turned his head abruptly, his eyes sharp, "Did you hear me? I may die, but Shenzhou must not be invaded, King of Yan, did you hear me?!"

His body was covered with wounds, and in such a state, even the Taiyi Divine Doctor would be powerless to save him.

He Jia took a deep breath and finally uttered four words: "This king swears."

These four words were already drenched with countless drops of blood.

Even without Xiang Qingtian’s words, he certainly wouldn’t allow these people to set foot in Shenzhou.

"Good, good, good! With these words from you, this king can rest at ease." Xiang Qingtian finally smiled, "This king will go ahead and meet Little Yongning."

Battling for a lifetime, struggling for a lifetime, through every chaotic mess.

But in the face of a great enemy, he chose to lead the charge, ready to embrace death.

Xiang Qingtian murmured, "Future generations, even if they disdain this king, must respect me by a measure."

Ye Wanlan clenched her fists, replying softly to him: "It is by every measure, Uncle Wang."

Xiang Qingtian certainly had the power to establish himself as a king, but after Ning Zhaozong ascended the throne, he voluntarily left the capital to command troops at the Southern Frontier, never returning unless summoned.

Born in an age of chaos, and parted in battle.

His lifetime of achievements was already sufficient to clear his name.

Like a last glimmer of light, Xiang Qingtian pulled out all the blades from his body, and burst into hearty laughter: "Come and fight!"

Xiang Qingtian desired to journey alone on the Netherworld Path!

The road to oblivion is long, and he alone would be enough.

The scene vanished, and the transmission of thousands of miles also stopped at that moment.

This signified the end of Xiang Qingtian’s life.

Yet he still did not fall; instead, he supported his body with the hilt of his blade, standing erect on the vast land of the Southern Frontier.

The Xiang Imperial Family does not live on its knees nor does it die on them!

The tall general frowned, asking coldly, "What is he saying?"

"General, I didn’t hear clearly," the young officer was also puzzled, "The voice was too low."

"Never mind, what’s the point in listening to the words of a dying man." The tall general waved dismissively, "Somehow he managed to send a message to Yan Wang Hejia, but sadly, it’s to no avail."

Their combined strength far surpassed that of the Ning Dynasty. Even if someone as gifted as He Jia knew about the enemy in advance, what difference would it make?

If they did not submit to them, there was ultimately only one outcome—death.

Whatever Xiang Qingtian did was futile.

The enemies didn’t hear clearly, but Ye Wanlan was proficient in reading lips, and she saw Xiang Qingtian’s last words—four characters—

Flourishing, Divine, Land.

Ye Wanlan was deeply shaken, as if her soul had been jolted out of her body at that moment.

She remembered an event from long ago when her calligraphy had just taken form. Right after her apprenticeship, Xiang Qingtian had someone request her to write a couplet for him.

The content of this couplet was "Flourishing Divine Land."

The "Flourishing Divine Land" he had inscribed was interpreted with his entire life, so profound.

In the last moment of his life, he cried out "Long live the Ning Army," "Eternal life to Shenzhou," and then resolutely faced death.

Yet, this part of history had not been recorded in the books, including the Prince of Chu, all who had personally witnessed this war had died.

The historical records about the destruction of the Ning Dynasty were always just those few phrases.

But for these individuals, those few phrases encapsulated their lifetimes of tremendous waves and struggles.

The image dissipated, and historical regression ended.

To outsiders, merely a few seconds had passed.

Therefore, when Ye Wanlan suddenly burst into tears, everyone was startled.

"Xiao Wan?" Yan Tingfeng asked softly, "Why are you crying all of a sudden?"

His voice rarely carried a trace of panic as he took out a tissue to wipe her tears.

Ye Wanlan didn’t speak, but tightly held the Gold-Inlaid Iron Hook in her hand.

"How much?" Yan Tingfeng raised his head.

Seeing that the merchant, though his face was covered with a mask and hat, had an extraordinary demeanor, he quoted a steep price: "A fixed price, 200,000."

Yan Tingfeng’s expression remained indifferent as he took out a check and threw it on the stall.

At this moment, Ye Wanlan also calmed her emotions.

She rose to her feet, still clutching the Gold-Inlaid Iron Hook.

"Miss Wanlan, this Iron Hook is?" Professor Shen asked with a gentle voice.

Ye Wanlan came to her senses and gently shook her head, "I need to go back and confirm."

Professor Li observed it carefully and spoke in a lowered voice, "Based on the craftsmanship, it should indeed be from the Ning Dynasty Period, but we still can’t confirm from which era of the dynasty."

There were three periods in the Ning Dynasty that later historians studied most—the Tianqi Era, the Qianhe Period, and the Yongshun Period.

Great Ancestor Ning founded Daning, and Tianqi was the first era of the Ning Dynasty.

Ning Zhaozong, after ending more than a decade of internal strife, changed the era name to "Qianhe."

"Yongshun" was the last period of the Ning Dynasty; Xiang Chen adopted "Yongshun" as the era name, meaning eternal harmony, but sadly, this wish was never fulfilled.

"Miss Ye, are you okay?" The director was also worried, "Let’s continue the rest of the shooting, and Mr. Yan can accompany Miss Ye to rest at the place where she’s staying."

Ye Wanlan didn’t refuse; she indeed needed some time to quiet down.

Once at the lodging, Yan Tingfeng bent down slightly, "Just call me if you need anything."

"Mhm." Ye Wanlan nodded, lying down on the bed, she examined the Gold-Inlaid Iron Hook in her hands meticulously.

Yet the next second, with a "snap," the Gold-Inlaid Iron Hook in her palm suddenly shattered!