The closer they got, the louder the crying became.
The sound of weeping, filtering through the sand in the sandy mist, pierced the ears of those nearby, carrying a mournful chill.
"Are they mourning? This is like someone being abused. When Master died, Fatty wasn't this attentive."
Hearing the sound, Fatty couldn't help but shiver. In this situation, the sound was rather frightening.
"We're almost there."
Zhang Tian looked ahead. In the mist, a dark shadow gradually emerged.
The shadow was kneeling on the ground, its hands touching its eyes.
Surprisingly, the shadow was small, resembling a child.
About a meter tall, and appearing very helpless.
Zhang Qilin quickened his pace, and the group arrived beside the little girl.
The little girl was about a meter tall, and her head was covered with a golden veil.
She was also wearing ancient silk that only royalty could afford.
The little girl covered her face with her hands, her appearance obscured.
"Boss, we're grave robbing, why do we encounter ghosts every day? This is really getting ridiculous."
Fatty complained, looking dejected. Hu Bayi rolled his eyes at Fatty.
Meanwhile, Shirley Yang had already knelt down to look at the little girl.
"Little one, why are you crying?"
Shirley Yang's voice was gentle and patient.
"Sniffle, sniffle, Daddy, Daddy doesn't want me anymore. He left me, Xiaoya, all alone here."
"Xiaoya is so scared. There are beasts and poisonous snakes everywhere. It's so terrifying."
The little girl cried, her body trembling slightly.
Clearly, she had been greatly frightened.
"What's your name?"
Looking at the little girl squatting there, her face hidden, Zhang Tian asked softly.
"Loulan, Loulan Tianya."
Loulan Tianya spoke, her small nose red, and tears and snot running down.
"She's the Princess of Loulan."
Hu Bayi exclaimed, his hoarse voice tinged with a hint of shock.
He could never have imagined that this crying, pitiful little thing was once the warrior princess who held back an army single-handedly.
It was simply unbelievable.
"Such a little princess, not even an adult yet. Boss, you're quite something."
Fatty winked.
Zhang Tian kicked Fatty away.
"It seems she's trapped in her own dream and can't get out. No wonder I couldn't find the core of the formation when I tried to break it before. The problem was here."
Zhang Tian murmured. Shirley Yang also stood up.
"I saw many one-eyed snakes and beasts in the mist earlier. It should be what happened when she was a child."
Shirley Yang said, a hint of pity on her face.
"Little sister, do you recognize this?"
Zhang Tian took out the knife given by the king.
Hearing this, Loulan Tianya opened her hands and looked with her large eyes at the small knife in Zhang Tian's hand.
The next moment, the aura around her changed drastically.
A storm surged, and in an instant, the scene before them shifted.
Their heads spun.
When they opened their eyes again.
They were now standing on yellow sand.
Under a blazing sun.
And beneath the sun, a little girl and a man were riding camels in the desert.
"Xiaoya, today is your eighth birthday. According to our Loulan kingdom's Buddhist traditions, as the future heir, you need to become stronger."
"Today is your first trial. I hope you will return victorious."
The man's voice was magnetic, like that of an elder, but his appearance was surprisingly young.
"This is the Princess of Loulan in her childhood, and the king in his youth."
Hu Bayi murmured softly.
Zhang Tian didn't understand why the Princess of Loulan wanted them to see this. Was this the most unforgettable moment of her life?
"But Father, I don't want to be a king. I just want to be with you forever."
From the back of a small white camel, the Princess of Loulan's clear voice rang out.
As melodious as a lark.
"Alas."
"If your mother hadn't died, and you were the only heir in the royal family, I wouldn't want this, but there's no choice."
The king sighed, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
"Xiaoya, believe in yourself. Becoming stronger now is paving the way for your future."
After saying this, the king rode his camel and left the scorching desert.
Leaving the little Princess of Loulan alone in the desert.
All he left behind was a very short small knife.
And that small knife was the one Zhang Tian had just taken out.
Zhang Tian finally understood why the king had given him the small knife. It wasn't to help him, but to harm him.
If the princess were to become enraged by accident, they would be in grave danger.
Zhang Tian took a deep breath. This king was far from simple; outwardly benevolent, but inwardly ruthless.
The little Princess of Loulan was abandoned in the desert. She slumped on the white camel, tears welling up in her eyes.
As she was in despair, the sand stirred, and many desert snakes emerged from the ground.
In an instant, the Princess of Loulan and the camel were surrounded.
"This..."
Shirley Yang, seeing this, wanted to go and help, but Hu Bayi stopped her.
"This is clearly her illusion. If we go in, it might not help and could even disrupt things. The fact that she appeared in later great battles means she survived."
Hu Bayi said. Shirley Yang nodded and did not step forward.
They watched as, not far away, the Princess of Loulan held the small knife in her tiny hand, her gaze growing colder and sharper.
"Don't come any closer, or I'll really attack."
She said, her most adorable face uttering the fiercest words.
Her words did not make the little snakes retreat.
On the contrary, a swarm of snakes attacked.
Having been trained from a young age, the Princess of Loulan's combat skills were top-notch.
Soon, the little figure was entangled with the small snakes.
"Alas, she started this kind of training so young. After enduring so much hardship, it's no wonder she'll become a proud person in the future."
Hu Bayi murmured. If he had started like this from childhood, there was no doubt that Hu Bayi would also be proud, because he would have earned it.
He would have achieved it step by step.
Zhang Tian nodded. The Princess of Loulan's ascent to general must have been due to immense suffering, that was beyond question.
They watched as the little girl was quickly surrounded by one-eyed snakes, trapped for a moment.
Fortunately, with the white camel, she rode on its back, evading the attacks of these one-eyed snakes.
Then, the scene flickered.
Images of the Princess of Loulan's rebirth from desperate situations flashed by, and the small knife gradually ceased to be her preferred weapon.
One day, envoys from the Jingjue Kingdom arrived.
As the Loulan Kingdom had been a tributary for many years, the Jingjue Kingdom was pleased and bestowed many treasures.
Among them, Zhang Tian even saw several pieces of star iron.
"Was the Princess of Loulan's star iron not from outer space? Was it a gift from the Queen of Jingjue?"
"Or, are there more than just a few pieces of star iron?"
Zhang Tian was even more shocked by the gifts from the envoys of the secret history.
But he also thought about it. How could a minor prince like the Prince of Gumou know so much about the Loulan Kingdom?
Moreover, star iron was derived from meteorites. There must have been more than just a few meteorites that fell.