Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl
Chapter 398 Unbelievable! Sister Lan is omnipotent [2 updates]

Chapter 398: 398 Unbelievable! Sister Lan is omnipotent [2 updates]

Old Mr. Sergei had an extremely odd temper, and even members of the Northern Land Imperial Family couldn’t expect any allowances from him.

Oliver sipped his red wine elegantly, watching out of the corner of his eye how Xiang Shaoyu was met with a cold shoulder.

Because he genuinely didn’t understand Old Mr. Sergei’s words, Xiang Shaoyu’s expression paused.

Old Mr. Sergei waved his hand, indicating for him to leave quickly. Just then, Ye Wanlan stepped forward and replied to Old Mr. Sergei’s question.

Old Mr. Sergei’s eyes instantly brightened, he even "swooshed" to his feet from the chair, and excitedly rattled off a long string of words.

Ye Wanlan listened with a smile and responded one by one at a measured pace.

It was very fluent Old Northern Language, with every word used to perfection.

Xiang Shaoyu was dizzy from listening: "What did he say? And what did Miss Ye respond?"

He had just finished asking when he knocked on his own head with the handle of his fan: "I almost forgot, even if I ask, you wouldn’t know."

Yan Tingfeng swirled his wine glass, saying in an unhurried tone, "He said the young lady is from Shenzhou, how come she speaks Old Northern Language so well? The younger generation in the North no longer use this ancient grammar. Does she have a teacher? Is she interested in going to the library to study ancient texts with him?"

Xiang Shaoyu’s pupils shook greatly, staring at Yan Tingfeng as if seeing a ghost.

"Xiao Wan said she loves reading and is even more fond of learning foreign languages, self-taught without a teacher," continued Yan Tingfeng. "She can help with the study of ancient texts, but currently, she has more important matters and hopes to have a private chat."

Xiang Shaoyu: "You know it too?!"

The Old Northern Language, already difficult, had even harder pronunciations, and to his ears, it sounded like countless birds whirling around.

"Mm," Yan Tingfeng said lightly, "I studied it before."

Three hundred years ago, the Northern Lands had close dealings with Shenzhou, with many Northern merchants entering Shenzhou, but also some wicked spirit communicators who muddied the waters.

It was during that time that he learned the Old Northern Language.

During the Ning Dynasty Period, learning a foreign language didn’t have a grammar as it does today; it was all about feeling one’s way forward in everyday communication.

Xiang Shaoyu raised his hand to his temple, "I really can’t understand, why did you learn the Old Northern Language?"

"For communication," Yan Tingfeng raised an eyebrow. "See, isn’t it coming in handy now?"

Old Mr. Sergei was apparently quite fond of Ye Wanlan for being able to converse with him in Old Northern Language: "What is it, you tell me."

Ye Wanlan nodded with a smile: "I heard you have a portrait of ’Empress Valentina I.’"

"Indeed, I do." Old Mr. Sergei furrowed his brow when it came to antiques, "Do you want this painting?"

"No," Ye Wanlan said lightly. "This painting has been passed down from your ancestors and should be extremely precious, but alas, it was unfortunately damaged in a fire, burning a few of the edges."

Old Mr. Sergei’s expression changed.

Empress Valentina I, the only Empress in Northern Land history to be crowned with the title "Great Emperor", was immensely popular throughout the Northern Lands at that time and revered by later generations.

In the hearts of the Northern Land people, Empress Valentina I’s status is equivalent to that of Great Ancestor Ning’s in the hearts of the People of Shenzhou.

Thus, any cultural relics related to this Empress had extremely high collectible value.

"I can repair this painting," Ye Wanlan spoke slowly.

Old Mr. Sergei was greatly surprised, blurting out, "You can repair it?!"

This painting not only depicted Empress Valentina I but was also painted by a court artist from Shenzhou, hence its higher value.

He had always been pained by the fire that year, which destroyed this supreme piece of art.

Over the years, he had sought art restorers hoping to repair the painting, but regrettably, none had succeeded.

As time went on, Old Mr. Sergei had no choice but to give up.

"No, I don’t believe it," Mr. Sergei quickly regained his senses. "I have specifically sought your Shenzhou art restoration specialists, and they were helpless."

"But I can," Ye Wanlan said calmly. "If you don’t believe me, I can start by repairing the painting for you."

She was extremely familiar with this painting because it was, in fact, created before her very eyes.

Years ago, Empress Valentina came to Shenzhou in person with two generals, heading to Fengyuan to meet with Emperor Zhaozong.

Empress Valentina had expressed her great fondness for Shenzhou culture, hoping to take a portrait back with her.

That was the origin of this painting.

Ye Wanlan remembered the painting and naturally knew what the scene was like at that time. She also knew what pigments the court artist had used.

Before coming here, she had made all the necessary preparations.

Because she would never go into battle unprepared.

After a moment of silence, Old Mr. Sergei slowly exhaled, "Alright, since you can communicate with me unimpeded, I believe you must have the ability to restore this painting."

"Of course," Ye Wanlan smiled slightly. "Since you admire Shenzhou culture, you should know there’s an old saying in Shenzhou, ’There’s no such thing as a free lunch.’ I will repair this painting for you but on certain conditions."

Far from getting angry, Old Mr. Sergei laughed heartily, "Of course, of course, if you can help me repair this painting, I will give you all my collected Shenzhou artifacts!"

Yan Tingfeng accurately translated this promise to Xiang Shaoyu.

Xiang Shaoyu hadn’t expected that what seemed to him an extremely difficult task was resolved so effortlessly by Ye Wanlan.

"Xiao Wan said that the human heart is the most difficult thing to predict," Yan Tingfeng blinked and chuckled. "But if you can see through it, it’s more effective than any weapon or method."

Clearly, in Old Mr. Sergei’s view, the importance of the "Empress Valentina I" painting was greater than all of his collected Shenzhou artifacts.

Another point, also crucial—

Ye Wanlan had won a great deal of favor from Old Mr. Sergei; otherwise, the deal couldn’t have gone so smoothly.

"No wonder Miss Ye said there was no need for items in exchange; she had this in mind." Xiang Shaoyu pondered. "I had indeed come across information about this painting in my research, but I hadn’t thought in this direction."

Yan Tingfeng said indifferently, "Human hearts are hard to control, but once you do, many things resolve as if cutting through butter."

"The Art of Sovereignty," Xiang Shaoyu shook his head slightly. "I have seen books about such topics in the Xiang Family’s Scripture Pavilion; it’s a pity I haven’t got the talent."

This goes to show that a few emperors in Shenzhou history, who were praised by later generations, were all strong at controlling the human heart.

Controlling the human heart doesn’t mean playing with it, as having power doesn’t equate to oppressing others.

One who wins the hearts of the people, wins the world.

Ye Wanlan and Old Mr. Sergei were still chatting. Except for Yan Tingfeng, indeed no second person nearby could understand their conversation.

But Old Mr. Sergei’s facial expressions couldn’t lie; his face was full of smiles, happier than ever.

Oliver had been watching the scene closely. Seeing this, he crushed the red wine glass in his hand, seething with rage: "How come that Shenzhou girl knows Old Northern Language too?!"

No wonder Xiang Shaoyu was so confident coming to the Northern Lands, all because they had such a multi-talented subordinate?

"Clan Leader!" Matvey quickly advised, "Please, don’t be angry. They might not even leave tonight’s banquet alive; what does it matter if they are able to make Sergei happy?"

Oliver’s murky eyes filled with intense killing intent: "Xiang Shaoyu can be sent back, but that wretched girl must die!"

Matvey was taken aback.

Would he really prioritize the danger of this nameless girl even above the Young Master of the Xiang Family, Xiang Shaoyu?!

"That wretched girl, irrespective of her identity and background, she gives me a sense of hidden danger," said Oliver, his gaze dark and menacing. "And a feeling that goes beyond my control."

He couldn’t see through Ye Wanlan at all, nor did he know what other abilities she might possess.

So the best method was to have her die in the Northern Lands, to become one among many corpses.

Matvey nodded in understanding, "I will follow your orders carefully."

The banquet continued, and halfway through, there was a dance.

Ye Wanlan had already arranged a time with Old Mr. Sergei. She returned to Yan Tingfeng and Xiang Shaoyu’s side: "Tomorrow morning, we’ll go to Old Mr. Sergei’s home; I expect it will take three hours to restore the painting."

"Thank you, Miss Ye," Xiang Shaoyu expressed his sincere respect. "This time, we should be able to bring back quite a few artifacts to Shenzhou."

According to the intelligence he had gathered, Old Mr. Sergei’s private collection exceeded three hundred items.

"Ah—!!!"

Suddenly, a horrific scream rang out and the music abruptly stopped.

"There’s been a murder, a murder!"

In the center of the stage, a man lay on the ground, his female companion retreating in panic, and the others quickly dispersed.

Such an incident at a palace feast caused the guests to panic, and naturally, the banquet could no longer continue.

The Court Knight Squad immediately came in and surrounded the crime scene.

After an examination, the Knight Commander ordered a knight to check the surveillance.

A few minutes later, the knight returned, whispering a few words in the Knight Commander’s ear.

In an instant, the Knight Commander’s gaze fell upon Ye Wanlan: "For poisoning and homicide, arrest her!"