Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl
Chapter 657 Return to Shenzhou, Huo Family’s Shocking Change! [1st Update]

Chapter 657: 657 Return to Shenzhou, Huo Family’s Shocking Change! [1st Update]

This is Darian’s first visit to the Southern Ming Principality.

Were it not for Ye Wanlan being here, he might never have thought to set foot in the Southern Ming Principality in his lifetime.

Darian Stewart graduated from Shenzhou University, speaks fluent Chinese, and is deeply passionate about Shenzhou culture.

After joining the World Cultural Heritage Center, he has also been dedicating himself tirelessly to the protection of Shenzhou culture.

However, among the tens of thousands of people at the World Cultural Heritage Center, he mostly engages in research and artifact restoration, showing little interest in management.

This has allowed the Southern Ming Principality to exploit the loophole and attempt to submit Shenzhou’s traditional culture for heritage recognition at the World Cultural Heritage Center.

Although Ye Wanlan had previously stated in the group that she would feign ignorance, upon learning the whole story, Darian was nonetheless inexplicably angry.

He never hides his favoritism, especially since Ye Wanlan has saved him before.

Jin Wuzheng felt as if all the sounds around him had vanished, and any curses he was about to utter came to an abrupt halt, completely stuck in his throat.

Not everyone has the qualification to meet Darian; individuals in positions like Darian’s don’t regularly appear in media coverage like President Kristin Constans of the World Bank.

But Jin Wuzheng, being the president of the Southern Ming Principality Historical Association, leads all matters related to this area in negotiations, so how could he not recognize Darian’s face?

"I, I..." Jin Wuzheng’s face flushed immediately, his lips trembling, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Yet waves of turmoil surged in his heart.

Even though the Mingyue Token has immense historical value, it is still surprising for Darian Stewart to personally come here!

What is the true reason behind all this?

No matter how much Jin Wuzheng racks his brains, he would never discover that only Ye Wanlan in this world could, with a single word, bring the youngest vice-president of the World Cultural Heritage Center all the way from the Global Center to the Southern Ming Principality.

"Mr. Stewart!" Jin Wuzheng finally managed to squeeze out a respectful title, with a flattering smile on his face, "I dare not speak to you this way at all, you’ve misunderstood, misunderstood!"

"Misunderstood?" Darian looked at him coolly, "So if it were someone else, your slap would have already landed?"

Beads of cold sweat appeared on Jin Wuzheng’s forehead.

Despite being over sixty, though Darian holds a position far above his, being reprimanded by someone young enough to be his grandchild, he felt extremely embarrassed and ashamed.

"Humph." Darian turned his head away, "This old gentleman is right; lives hang in the balance. She’s a Shenzhou person, isn’t she? I remember the Yunjing Su Family is a family of Divine Doctors, quickly take the young lady back and make sure she is cured!"

"Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Stewart." Professor Xue did not expect the matter to be resolved so easily; he was overjoyed, "I’ll take Wanlan back for treatment immediately!"

"No, hey—" Jin Wuzheng could only watch helplessly as Professor Xue and the 723 Bureau personnel took the unconscious Ye Wanlan away.

"Hmm." Darian nodded, waved, "You may go as you please, I’ll take a look around myself."

He walked quickly to a secluded corner, took out his phone, and posted a kneeling emoji in the group.

[World’s Richest]: ?

[Crazy Scientist]: ?

[Shenzhou University Gate Security]: ?

[Deadly Poison Master]: ?

[Ghostbuster Bro]: What wrong did you commit, quickly tell us!

[Cultured Person]: I am guilty, I repent. Due to special circumstances, I had to call Sister YN twice a young lady, and now I slap my own face as punishment.

Only Darian himself knew how his heart twitched when he uttered "young lady."

This term, when placed upon Ye Wanlan, indeed felt extraordinarily strange to him.

Yet, Professor Xue also sensed this peculiar feeling.

Aboard the helicopter, Ye Wanlan had already awakened, holding the Mingyue Token, gazing out of the window in a trance.

Here, Professor Xue lowered his voice: "Xiao Yan, did you find anything particularly odd just now?"

Yan Tingfeng was making tea: "Oh?"

"When Mr. Stewart referred to Wanlan as a young lady, why did I feel it was so odd?" Professor Xue muttered, "Yet Wanlan is indeed a young lady, there’s nothing wrong with that..."

Yan Tingfeng smiled meaningfully: "Perhaps he has his own concerns."

**

The news of Ye Wanlan bringing the Mingyue Token back to Shenzhou spread within two days.

[My goodness, she actually took the Mingyue Token back from those bandit thieves of the Southern Ming Principality? The Southern Ming Principality didn’t forcibly detain her?]

[It’s said Ye Wanlan personally protected the Mingyue Token during the earthquake, preventing Minister Shen’s relic from being once again buried.]

[Critics speak! Now that Ye Wanlan has brought back the Mingyue Token, are you still going to continue your criticisms?]

[I have never met Ye Wanlan, all my impressions of her come from various news online, but I know she must truly love history and continually dedicate herself to it.]

[Some truly make audacious remarks, but if it were you, would you dare confront those from the Southern Ming Principality and bring back the Shenzhou treasure?]

[As an aside, has anyone seen Ye Wanlan at Yunjing University? What courses has she chosen? I want to attend her classes!]

...

Because the Mingyue Token contained Shen Mingshu’s spirit, Ye Wanlan decided to keep the Mingyue Token by her side.

Since she successfully brought it back, the Director of the Cultural Relics Bureau had no objections.

At this moment, within the Rong Family.

Today, all four members of Rong Jingqiu’s family are present, their expressions particularly solemn.

Even Rong Yu, usually carefree and unserious, sat quietly at his seat, worried.

Ye Wanlan glanced around: "What’s wrong?"

"Brother Yan, Miss Ye." Rong Qi raised his head, "Though you’ve only been away for two days, something major has indeed happened in Yunjing."

Ye Wanlan sat down, "I’m listening."

Rong Qi spoke deliberately: "Huo Yunling announced externally that during his cultivation at Cold Hidden Temple, he had an epiphany, deciding not to enter monkhood, but instead returning to the Huo Family."

"That’s not the most important part." Yan Tingfeng said calmly, "Continue."

"After shedding his kasaya and returning to the Huo Family, he proposed a request to the Huo Family Elders Group—" Rong Qi paused, then continued, "He wants to fairly compete with Yunyi for the next position of Family Head."

"!"

Bing He and Tie Ma exchanged glances, finding it somewhat unbelievable: "Has he gone mad?"

The Huo Family, being direct descendants of the Divine Strategy Army, are inheritors and promoters of top martial arts; such major families never lack competition.

Moreover, once the fight erupts, casualties are inevitable.

By the time Huo Yunyi’s generation arrived, the reduction in conflict wasn’t due to a lack of aggression among Huo Family disciples but because Huo Yunyi’s strength was so formidable, he could intimidate peers from the same generation.

Huo Yunling chose the monastic life years prior, leaving little time for practicing the Divine Strategy Spear Technique; how could he fairly compete with Huo Yunyi?

Furthermore, Huo Yunyi is a martial arts fanatic, frequently challenging himself to improve his cultivation in various uninhabited areas.

No one ever imagined that Huo Yunling would one day vie with Huo Yunyi for the position of Family Head.

Could it be due to a shift at the Su Family?

"Because he comprehended the Divine Strategy Spear Technique’s Eighth Layer." Rong Qi continued, "The Huo Family Elders Group didn’t believe him until he demonstrated the technique."

Ye Wanlan raised her brows, seeming not a bit surprised; she slightly raised her chin and smiled: "That’s still not the most important part, continue."

Rong Qi: "..."

In certain regards, Miss Ye and Tower Master are indeed quite alike.

He could assert he hadn’t revealed any information, but these two somehow discerned he hadn’t finished speaking.

"Let me continue with what happened next." Rong Jingqiu shook his head, "He also made a request to the Lin Family—cough, he requested the Lin Family to betroth Wanlan to him, and soon, he will proceed to the Lin Family with a marriage proposal."