Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl
Chapter 445 Penglai Saintess and Beiming Cult Leader! [1 more]

Chapter 445: 445 Penglai Saintess and Beiming Cult Leader! [1 more]

"This set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone was something I obtained after accidentally helping a foreign elder during a journey outside," Huo Yunyi nodded, "He said it was also a treasure he had collected by chance. Knowing that I was from Shenzhou, he gifted it to me."

Yan Tingfeng gently blinked, "It’s an antique, likely looted abroad during a period of war."

"Yes, the craftsmanship is also very exquisite," Xiang Shaoyu nodded, "Though aged, the patterns and colors haven’t faded, and the brush remains undamaged."

"I think for someone like me who only knows how to use guns, these writing materials are of no use," Huo Yunyi said, "So I decided to give them to Miss Ye."

Xiang Shaoyu pondered for a moment, feeling something was off, "If you don’t need this antique, why didn’t you give it to me?"

He was fond of antiques and welcomed anything from the olden times.

Huo Yunyi, expressionless, replied, "I forgot."

Xiang Shaoyu: "..."

Then how come he thought of it now?!

Ye Wanlan extended her hand, very cautiously touching the inkstone in the box, her fingers trembling severely.

Such a slight anomaly did not escape Yan Tingfeng’s notice, "Xiao Wan, can you recognize which era this antique is from?"

"The Ning Dynasty period," Ye Wanlan slightly steadied her emotions before whispering, "Specifically when, I’ll need to examine it closely."

Xiang Shaoyu smiled, "Our Miss Ye is indeed a walking antique detector."

"I have something to do," Ye Wanlan suddenly stood up, picking up the box, "I’ll leave first, you guys chat."

She hurried away, quickly leaving the Huo residence.

"This..." Xiang Shaoyu paused, turning to look at Yan Tingfeng, "Could Miss Ye have been upset by what just happened?"

Yan Tingfeng shook his head slightly, "Those people, Xiao Wan won’t take them to heart."

He was also deep in thought.

But he could discern that Ye Wanlan’s emotions changed when Huo Yunyi brought out the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Yan Tingfeng’s eyes deepened.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve practiced martial arts," Huo Yunyi suddenly said, "Shaoyu, let’s have a fight."

Xiang Shaoyu: "?"

What had he done to deserve this?

**

Ye Wanlan returned to the hotel and reopened the box.

How could she not recognize the era of this set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone?

It was the relic of her teacher.

Imperial Tutor Han Yunsheng.

Zither, Go, Calligraphy, and Painting were just leisure skills for Han Yunsheng, whose greatest ability was reading celestial signs and divining the nation’s fortune.

Han Yunsheng had collected many sets of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone; this was the least outstanding one, but it was the one he had used to teach her calligraphy.

Ye Wanlan silently took out the brush, then poured ink into the inkstone, starting to grind the ink.

After grinding the ink, she dipped the brush and wrote a character on the rice paper—

Ning.

The Ning of the Ning Dynasty, also representing peace in Shenzhou.

The latter was also why Grand Ancestor Ning had chosen "Ning" for the nation’s name.

However, something unexpected happened.

As the last stroke of the complex character "Ning" was completed!

"Whoosh—"

A flash of white light passed, and the light and shadows in front of her twisted.

This was the sign of the beginning of a historical regression, which for Ye Wanlan had already become a routine occurrence.

She didn’t ponder why this set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone could also regress through history, but regardless, she could gather more information.

When her vision cleared again, indeed, she had returned to the Ning Dynasty 300 years ago.

The familiar Imperial Palace came into view, starkly different from the ruins once trampled by enemies.

At that time, Fengyuan City had not yet fallen, and the enemy’s situation reports had just reached the Imperial Court.

Inside the grand hall, civil and military officials gathered, Emperor Yongshun Xiang Chen sat on the throne, with Imperial Tutor Han Yunsheng and Female Prime Minister Shen Mingshu standing in the forefront.

And Ye Wanlan finally saw Princess Jingan Xiang Mingyu, still alive.

Compared to the time she had seen the princess dismembered by horses, the shock was immense.

For a moment, Ye Wanlan almost shed tears again, "Auntie..."

Despite being well aware that, in historical regression, she was just like a movie theater spectator, unable to change anything on the screen.

But she couldn’t help but extend her hand to touch Princess Jingan’s face.

Xiang Mingyu’s expression was very serious, and she was unaware that her niece who had passed away six years ago was right beside her.

"Reporting to His Majesty and Your Highness the Sovereign of Seizers, the defenses in the Northwest, Southern Frontier, and Eastern Wilderness... have been fully breached." The soldier’s voice trembled severely, almost choking, "His Highnesses Prince Yan, Prince of Chu, and Prince Qin... have fallen in battle."

"..."

The entire Imperial Court was deadly silent.

"What?!"

Even the normally indifferent Han Yunsheng changed his expression upon hearing this news.

The civil and military officials were even more astonished.

Who were the Four Directions Nobility?

They were the stabilizing pins of the Ning Dynasty!

Who wasn’t aware of the combat prowess of the Four Directions Nobility?

Especially Yan Wang Hejia, who could even hold off attacks led by the Master of Highest Heaven Tower with the aid of the people from Jianghu.

How could he possibly have died in battle?!

"Nonsense!" An elderly official immediately roared in anger, "How dare you show disrespect to His Highness Prince Yan!"

But no sooner had he spoken these words than he was already beset by a flood of tears.

Everyone knew that no one would joke about such a matter.

Xiang Mingyu suddenly gripped the handle of her chair, restraining herself from erupting in anger, she took a deep breath, "Court is dismissed for today, everyone go back and make arrangements quickly, move the city’s civilians into the shelters."

In the entire hall, aside from Emperor Yongshun Xiang Chen and Xiang Mingyu, only Han Yunsheng, Shen Mingshu, and a few elderly officials remained.

Xiang Mingyu asked, "Now, Imperial Tutor, what can you see?"

"Mountains of corpses and seas of blood, hell on earth," Han Yunsheng said in a grave voice, "The world is about to plunge into unprecedented chaos."

Xiang Mingyu’s pupils suddenly constricted.

Shen Mingshu couldn’t help but gasp, "Whether it is you or Rong Shi, neither of you foresaw this invasion."

The Imperial Tutor Han Yunsheng, already proficient in Taoist Arts, would also observe the celestial phenomena and divine the nation’s fortune, to keep Daning enduring without decline.

With Han Yunsheng in the Imperial Court and Rong Shi in Jianghu, there should have been no future that Shenzhou couldn’t foresee.

Yet, in the future both had observed, there was no sign of this invasion.

That was the reason the whole of Shenzhou was unprepared.

Of course, being able to break through the defenses of the Northwest, Southern Frontier, and Eastern Wilderness in just a couple of days, leaving Prince Yan, Prince of Chu, and Prince Qin without even a chance to fight back...

Even if there had been preparation, it wouldn’t have changed the fact.

After a silence of three seconds, Han Yunsheng slowly said, "Your Majesty, Your Highness the Sovereign of Seizers, Minister Shen, I need to leave Fengyuan for a while."

He spoke and turned to leave.

"At this time, leaving Fengyuan, where are you going and what are you going to do?" Shen Mingshu became anxious and immediately followed.

She had worked with Han Yunsheng for many years, fully aware of his personality, and knew that if he was leaving now, it surely wasn’t to flee from the battle, but to find a way to save the Shenzhou Land Continent.

Han Yunsheng did not stop.

"Yunsheng," Shen Mingshu called out his name for the first time.

Han Yunsheng’s body shook, and he stopped, "Minister Shen?"

Shen Mingshu didn’t come closer, she just said four words, "Come back alive."

Come back alive.

Whether it was Han Yunsheng who heard it, or Ye Wanlan, who was observing this historical flashback from the side, they both knew that these simple four words were the heaviest at that moment.

Who doesn’t want to come back alive?

But even Prince Yan, Hejia, was no longer here!

Han Yunsheng pressed his lips tightly and directly used Taoist Arts, covering thousands of miles in a day, heading towards the south.

Ye Wanlan found that her perspective of viewing this historical flashback moved along with Han Yunsheng.

The next second, what appeared before her was no longer Fengyuan City, but Mount Penglai!

A place where mystical energy lingered, with secluded paths leading through.

"Just now I was telling my elder martial sister that the Imperial Tutor would surely rush here as soon as he heard the news," a gentle voice said, "And sure enough, the Imperial Tutor’s arrival time was exactly as I predicted."

"Swoosh!"

Two figures appeared above the clouds, like gods descending from the heavens, a man handsome, a woman of stunning beauty.

The Penglai Saintess, Yue Zheng!

The Beiming Sect Leader, Xing Yun!