Chapter 27: Reina's Present and Future

Upon hearing this, Leo immediately understood. Indeed, wherever there were Confucian disciples, significant events were bound to unfold. The Xuanyin Empire and the Dawan Empire had always been at odds, with many conflicts and battles between them, making them sworn enemies. Even the Confucians found it challenging to mediate the relationship between the two nations, relying instead on various means to maintain a fragile balance.

In his past life, while part of the Justice Alliance, Leo had also participated in mediating numerous disputes between empires. However, he could no longer recall the extent to which the conflict between Qin and Wan had escalated. It seemed that it hadn't caused too much of a ruckus, as both sides were evenly matched and one could not simply annex the other after the death of a monarch.

"What is the treasure that Brother Zhong mentioned?" Leo asked with growing interest.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Haoran took on a cautious expression, glancing around to ensure that no one was eavesdropping.

In fact, his holy-level artifact possessed the ability to shield itself from external consciousness probing, so he didn't really need to be so careful, yet he still appeared somewhat anxious.

"I don't know if you've heard of it, but I must tell you, Leo, you absolutely cannot tell anyone else!"

"Of course."

Zhong Haoran took a couple of steps closer to Leo and whispered, "Bai Ze!"

As soon as those words were spoken, Leo's eyes widened in surprise.

The Confucians had actually set their sights on the demon race!

---

Leo returned to his small courtyard and just pushed the door open when Reina dashed towards him and threw herself into his embrace.

"Brother, you've been gone for so long!"

Reina said, her voice full of longing as she rubbed her small head against Leo's chest.

"I'm sorry! Look what I brought you!"

Leo fondly stroked Reina's hair and pulled out the candied hawthorn he had bought from behind his back.

Reina's eyes sparkled with excitement as she snatched the candied hawthorn from him and started happily munching on it.

"Brother, you should eat too!"

Reina didn't forget Leo; after taking a couple of bites, she brought the candied hawthorn to Leo's mouth, and he obediently took a bite. He then led Reina back inside to cook. As night fell, Leo had given up his resistance and allowed Reina to snuggle up against him as she fell asleep. Her delicate and adorable face had matured a bit, now exuding a youthful charm. Her round face rested against Leo's shoulder, with a faintly satisfied smile on her lips.

A strand of drool flowed from her slightly parted lips, creating a glistening string. 

Leo chuckled softly, noticing how free this little girl was while sleeping. He decided he might need to teach her a lesson about proper sleeping behavior. He stretched out his hand and gently wiped away the drool from her tender lower lip with his thumb.

"Ah, woo…" 

Reina seemed to sense something and suddenly opened her mouth to nibble on Leo's finger! 

Leo froze for a moment; was this little girl dreaming of eating candied hawthorn? 

He felt a soft little tongue swirling inside her mouth, licking his thumb, tickling his skin. 

For some reason, Leo didn't immediately pull his finger away and allowed Reina to hold it. With the dim light of the room, he admired Reina's pure and adorable, exquisite face.

She was still that lovely little girl who saw him as the center of her world. Yet deep in her consciousness, there resided another person—a woman who was not only unlovable but also somewhat dangerous... 

If everything after his rebirth was a new beginning, then Leo was just a fifteen-year-old boy. 

In his past life, at fifteen, he was still running errands outside the Zhongyuan Sect, watching the vibrant and gallant senior sisters with his heart in turmoil. 

But now, he possessed over five hundred years of memories and inherited the vendettas of his past life.

Yet he still harbored the innocence of youth—that sincerity and passion of first discovering the world. However, this sincerity was now entirely devoted to Reina. 

Yes, he admitted that he needed Reina too. 

But in the future, the lovely Reina would grow up day by day and wouldn't always love her brother. 

One day, that Empress Reina would return and reclaim her body.

For someone with celestial spiritual talent, this ending seemed almost predetermined; few could restrain her growth. 

A sense of melancholy suddenly washed over Leo; Reina's cuteness and innocence, though not consumables, were still a limited-time experience. 

Should he stifle her potential? 

As the Wutian Huari technique coursed within him, he could instantly eliminate this future enemy, that terrifying woman! 

This thought flashed through his mind for a moment, but the weight of guilt quickly overwhelmed him, and he berated himself for lacking humanity.

This idea surely originated from that five-hundred-year-old vice leader of the alliance! It had nothing to do with me, Leo! 

"Reina…" 

Leo lowered his head and softly whispered in her ear: 

"Brother is the best person in the world for you; you will always love brother, right?" 

Reina, still holding his finger, peacefully slept with her delicate and curled eyelashes fluttering slightly, showing no response.

Leo shook his head, feeling amused at his childish behavior. He gently pulled his thumb away to wipe it on the blanket. It was time to sleep. 

Suddenly, he felt some movement next to him. Leo looked down to see Reina's brows slightly furrowing as she reached out to him. 

She nudged closer to Leo, one of her legs almost draped over his waist. 

"Brother…" she murmured softly, with a little pout.

Leo gazed blankly at Reina, and after a moment, a sincere smile spread across his face. 

He suddenly felt a wave of relief. That night, he slept very soundly, even more so than any night since his rebirth.

Meanwhile, in the Hermit's Valley's Celestial Hidden District. 

If the Heroic Hidden District resembled a bustling village, then the Celestial Hidden District was like a primeval forest. 

The Celestial Hidden District was vast, with the abodes of Daoist masters scattered throughout. 

While those who could dwell in this area of the Hermit's Valley were all respected around the world as "Big Shots," there were still differences among these big shots. 

Some practitioners could only reside in a cave carved into the mountainside or in a small bamboo grove.

But the Real Person Wu Yuan occupied an entire small peak all to himself!

Atop his small mountain, he sat alone at the summit, eyes closed in meditation.

However, while he seemed calm and stable, the environment around him could hardly be described as tranquil.

Strong winds roared, sand and stones flew through the air, and dark clouds gathered ominously above the peak, rumbling ominously, occasionally illuminated by flashes of golden lightning!

Yani and Wu Chi stood at a distance, gazing in shock at their master.

Yani managed to stand, albeit unsteadily, while Wu Chi was already trembling, his legs giving way and relying on Yani to keep him upright.

(BOOM!)

A streak of golden lightning struck down like an enraged dragon from the deep sea, diving toward Real Person Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan's eyes remained closed, and with a single hand raised—

The golden lightning, like a cow diving into the sea, shot straight into the palm of his hand, disappearing without a trace!

Everything happened in the blink of an eye; the violent and ferocious lightning met his soft palm, yet the outcome was utterly bizarre. The golden lightning was entirely absorbed!

At that moment, Yani and Wu Chi stared, momentarily shocked into silence, forgetting to tremble.

"Master is truly terrifying; it's only been thirty years since his last advancement, and yet he has progressed again…"

Yani mumbled, recalling that thirty years ago, she had not yet joined Wu Yuan's sect. But later she realized that, for Wu Yuan, simply maintaining continual progress was already impressive!

"Master should now be regarded as one of the strongest in the world, right? If he were a hundred years younger, it wouldn't be impossible for him to sit atop the Alliance leader's position!" Wu Chi marveled.

At this point, the strange phenomenon around Wu Yuan gradually dissipated, returning to clarity.

"Come here," he said coldly.

Just as Wu Chi straightened up, he trembled again upon hearing those words. He turned to glance at Yani, before summoning the courage to step forward.

"I have deduced the heavenly secret and found a method to restore your true essence: deep within the Li Mountain where this Hermit's Valley is located."

"This opportunity, if you can fully seize it, will benefit you even more than that lost true essence!"

Hearing this, Wu Chi and Yani both expressed their surprise. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and said, "Please, Master, guide me!"

Wu Chi couldn't see the expression on Wu Yuan's face, but Yani could, observing that Wu Yuan, usually indifferent and composed, was reflecting a hint of difficulty on his otherwise invincible visage.

Nevertheless, he still spoke:

"The auspicious beast Bai Ze."