A Secret Revealed

She sighed deeply, stood up, and walked around the place that had been her home for five years. From the tree where Senior Brother Lun Peng often hid from her because she occasionally bothered him, to the spot where she and Master first met. Seeing a flower near the bank, she bent down and plucked a lotus. When she looked up, she saw Senior Brother Lun Peng standing before her, having appeared without her notice.
"Senior Brother."
"Junior Brother said that Junior Sister and he will return to the palace the day after tomorrow?"
"That's right. Now that Junior Sister is sixteen, she also has an engagement, and the Crown Prince of the neighboring country should also return."
"Will Junior Sister marry him?"
"No."
Her eyes sharpened, and the lotus in her hand suddenly transformed from a bright pink to a mysterious black. She was surprised, holding up the lotus and saying, "What is this?"
Senior Brother Lun Peng snatched the lotus from her hand and muttered, "This clingy fellow."
The lotus, now in Senior Brother Lun Peng's hand, turned into dust, scattering into the void. Wan Ru was stunned and said, "Who is that fellow?"
Senior Brother Lun Peng grabbed her hand and said, "Follow me."
She followed Senior Brother Lun Peng to a cave. She was surprised; this was the cave where she and Senior Brother Lun Peng had first met.
"This cave."
"You remember correctly, don't you? Now, let's go inside."
Senior Brother Lun Peng held a torch, and she followed behind. The path inside the cave was rough, and she almost stumbled. Senior Brother Lun Peng caught her.
"Junior Sister, hold onto me. Be careful when entering the cave for the first time."
She held Senior Brother Lun Peng's wrist. Lun Peng quickly went deeper inside.
The flickering firelight grew clearer. The deeper they went, the darker it became. After walking for a while, Senior Brother Lun Peng stopped and went to a spot with many small stones on the ground.
Senior Brother Lun Peng sat down, arranged the stones into a hexagon, and finally placed a glowing golden stone in the center.
Light flashed, and she could now see the place more clearly. She was surrounded by spiritual energy, while the cave itself was thick with death energy.
Senior Brother Lun Peng was still casting a spell to create a protective layer for himself and her. She went to Lun Peng's side and said, "Why is there so much death energy here?"
"This place is guarded by the heart of the founding ancestor. It has collected all the death energy and demonic energy in our area."
"If anyone were to discover this place and harbor ambitions, they would surely absorb the demonic energy to gain unparalleled power."
"You've guessed correctly."
She was startled and turned to look at Senior Brother Lun Peng, thinking: Could the person Senior Brother Lun Peng spoke of be Lun Peng himself?
Senior Brother Lun Peng turned and walked out, saying, "Master and I are the guardians here. By the way, Junior Sister will have a test soon. Have you practiced yet?"
She shook her head, and Senior Brother Lun Peng angrily lifted her with one hand, saying, "Let me help you pass that test."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Senior Brother Lun Peng ran out of the cave like the wind. Fortunately, they landed safely. Lun Peng released his hand, causing her to plop onto the ground.
"There's not much time left; let's quickly start training."
She had to trudge behind Senior Brother Lun Peng to train. Before leaving the cave, she turned back to look and thought to herself: If he truly possesses such power, this matter is truly troublesome. I must find a way to resist him.
She was a little curious as to why Lun Peng had only now told her about this potential danger.
"Senior Brother. Why are you only telling Junior Sister now?"
"If you knew earlier, it would be more dangerous."
Wan Ru looked at Senior Brother Lun Peng's back: Dangerous? Perhaps I was too young then, and knowing early would mean he would eliminate me early?
Senior Brother Lun Peng led her to where Hao Qian was practicing. Hao Qian, seeing her, happily ran over to greet her.
"Finally decided to come out and train?"
"Junior Sister can train whenever she wishes."
"Then don't train and let Master criticize you."
They had only trained for a short while when night fell, so all three returned. After dinner, she immediately opened the book Hao Qian had recommended that morning.
Her room was near the lotus pond, so she went there to read.
She read quite quickly, then pondered: Now, if he is a Demonic God reincarnated in the mortal world, then I and everyone else stand no chance of winning.
If he is merely someone whose threads of affection were stolen, I will go easier on him. But I cannot do this alone; I need more help.
Hao Qian, standing behind her, patted her shoulder. She was startled and turned around, looked at Hao Qian for a moment, then said, "Junior Sister has something to tell you."
A moment later...
Hao Qian sprang up and slammed the stone table.
"What?"
But because he slammed it too hard, Hao Qian's anger backfired.
"Ow, ow, it hurts."
Wan Ru pulled her elder brother down to sit and said, "Do you believe me?"
Her eyes now held not only trust but also hope. Hao Qian held her hand and said, "I believe you."
Hao Qian looked around and said, "By the way, I just noticed you're using a Listening Talisman?"
She nodded and said, "That's right, his eyes and ears are everywhere."
Hao Qian gritted his teeth and said, "That scoundrel."
"First, we must understand our opponent. We must not act rashly. Even though you have been reborn, you still don't know too much about Bai Xiao. When you meet him, do not show any strange actions or expressions."
She took a sip of tea and said, "This time, he discovered that his body can absorb demonic energy faster than in his previous life. Of course, he is dangerous now. You must be more careful."
Hao Qian smirked, triumphantly saying, "You don't need to worry about that."
Her heart now felt as if a heavy stone that had weighed her down all this time had been lifted. She smiled and said, "I'm troubling you again this time."
"What trouble? We are all blood relatives. This matter requires us to unite."
"By the way, do you intend to tell Imperial Father about this?"
"I need to choose the right time to tell him. If I had told him when I was young, Imperial Father would not have listened. And if I tell him now, wouldn't it seem like I intend to reject this important engagement?"
"I'm not sure about that. But we should still tell Imperial Father."
She nodded and said, "Of course, we must tell him. But you know, we still haven't identified Bai Xiao's allies. What if those people are close to Imperial Father? Then everything will be for naught."
Hao Qian fully understood Wan Ru's intentions. Suddenly, her elder brother paused and said, "So, you are now twenty-two years old? What should I call you correctly?"
"Call me Elder Sister. Are you still teasing me at a time like this? Although I was born after you, my soul is older than yours."
Hao Qian was amused by Wan Ru's teasing and played along.
"You're quite capable, young lady. Well, it's late now; you should go to bed."
Afterward, Wan Ru also removed the talisman she had affixed under the stone table, secretly tearing it up and discarding it.
Wan Ru entered her familiar room, which she would soon leave.
She flopped down; her mind would always be heavy when it was time to sleep.
Wan Ru closed her eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep. Perhaps this was the best sleep she had had in the sixteen years since her rebirth.
Now, she had someone to share the responsibility of protecting her family, the common people, and the nation.
Today, she could sleep soundly.