After transmigrating into the body of the Jade Rat Spirit, I became Nezha's adopted sister.

Nezha then seemed to wake from a dream and hastily put her down, but still gently placed his hand on her waist to make sure she was steady.

"It's done." He looked away, took a jade box from his pocket, and handed it to her. "Here you go."

Bai Yeying curiously took it: "What is this?" The jade box was warm to the touch, with cloud patterns engraved on it, but nothing special about it.

"Open it and take a look."

Bai Yeying carefully opened the jade box. Inside was a pair of bracelets. The bracelets were crimson red with subtle lotus flower patterns on their surface.

"This is..." Bai Yeying sensed the spiritual power contained within the bracelets, indicating they were no ordinary items.

"The Crimson Lotus Heart Bracelet," Nezha explained. "Wearing it can ward off all poisons, calm the mind, and aid in cultivation. In times of danger, it can also automatically protect its owner by releasing a crimson flame barrier."

He paused, then added, "More practical than that golden rope..."

Bai Yeying held the jade box, her fingers tracing the red jade bracelet, feeling the spiritual energy contained within. She looked up at Nezha.

Did he return to Heaven to retrieve these protective magic treasures for her?

"Third Prince, this is far too precious, I..."

"Take it if I give it to you." Nezha interrupted her, his voice a little harsh, "So you won't keep going to dangerous places and distract others."

That's what he said, but he stopped looking at her.

Bai Yeying didn't say anything more: "Then thank you, Third Prince. I will definitely wear it every day and cultivate diligently, so as not to let you down!"

She picked up the bracelet and put it on. The red jade bracelet seemed to have a spirit; after she put it on her wrist, it automatically adjusted to the most suitable size.

The same applies when wearing the second one.

Bai Yeying raised her hands, looking at the pair of bracelets on her wrists. The crimson color complemented her fair wrists beautifully.

The more she looked at it, the more she liked it. She couldn't help but raise her hand and examine it closely against the light. Then she looked at Nezha, her eyes curving into crescents: "Is it beautiful?"

The girl had bright eyes and white teeth, and a beautiful smile. On her wrist was a protective bracelet that he had personally crafted.

Nezha's heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something, and it softened completely.

"Yes, it looks good."

More beautiful than the lotus flowers of the Jade Pool, more beautiful than the sunset on the horizon, more beautiful than all the treasures he had ever seen in the world.

Bai Yeying noticed the difference in his tone, but didn't know what had happened.

Nezha stood to the side, seeing that she was so engrossed in admiring the bracelet that she forgot to speak, he couldn't help but cough lightly and shift his gaze away from her bright smiling face.

"This bracelet will automatically protect its owner and also has a calming effect during daily cultivation, but your own cultivation is the foundation, so don't rely too much on external objects."

"Okay, brother~" Bai Yeying replied with a grin, deliberately drawing out the syllable. She lowered her hand, walked to Nezha's side, naturally took his arm, and looked up at him, asking, "So how long can you stay this time? You're not leaving again, are you?"

Hearing her call him "brother" stirred something in his heart. He lowered his gaze to look into her eyes, and the words he was about to say changed his mind: "There's nothing urgent at the moment. Perhaps I can stay a little longer."

"That's wonderful!" Bai Yeying's eyes lit up even more, she almost jumped for joy. "Perfect! It's time to start the second batch of fruit wine on the back hill. Also, I've been working on my marksmanship lately, but I'm stuck on a few parts, and I was hoping you could give me some pointers!"

She chattered away, making plans as if she wanted to pour out all the interesting things and questions she had accumulated over the past few days. Nezha listened, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turning up, letting her pull him into the cave.

"You're going back to Heaven for nothing but to retrieve the bracelet, right?"

Nezha slowed his pace, recalling the Jade Emperor's ambiguous smile in the Lingxiao Palace.

"It's nothing important."

................

Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang and his disciples left Wuji Kingdom and continued their westward journey. They endured wind and dew along the way, and before they knew it, more than a month had passed.

On this day, a tall mountain blocked the way in the distance; it was none other than the extremely treacherous Hao Mountain.

Sun Wukong leaped into the air, cupped his golden eyes, and peered out. He saw a faint demonic aura lingering in the mountains, not very strong, but persistent. He descended from the clouds and walked over: "Master, the mountains ahead are treacherous; there may be demons. We must be careful."

Tang Sanzang, still on horseback, thought for a moment, then clasped his hands together and said, "Wukong, since we know there is danger, would it be alright to take a detour?"

Pigsy immediately deflated, muttering under his breath, "Take a detour? Brother Monkey, look at this mountain, it seems endless. How long would it take? Maybe there are some delicious wild fruits in the mountains!"

Sha Wujing silently picked up the load and simply said, "Eldest Brother, you handle it."

Just as Sun Wukong was about to explain in detail, suddenly, the sound of a child crying came from the mountains, which was very pitiful and heartbreaking.

"Waaah... Daddy, Mommy... Help me..."

The cries drifted on the mountain breeze, intermittent and heartbreaking to hear.

Tang Sanzang immediately reined in his horse, listened intently, and a look of compassion appeared on his face: "Amitabha, why is a child crying in this deep mountain forest? Could it be that it has gotten lost from its family, or has encountered some misfortune? Wukong, go and see!"

Sun Wukong's golden eyes flickered, but he frowned: "Master, this is a desolate mountain wilderness, rarely visited by people. The sudden sound of a child crying is probably a trap."

Pigsy was displeased: "Brother Monkey, you're too suspicious! Perhaps it's just a hunter's or woodcutter's child who ran away while playing! The crying sounds so pitiful, Master, let's go and rescue them!"

The cries grew increasingly mournful, as if they were coming from behind a thicket of thorns not far ahead.

Tang Sanzang, growing anxious, urged him hastily, "Wukong, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. It's better to believe it's true than not. Go quickly!"

Sun Wukong was somewhat helpless and could only reply, "Master, please wait here for a moment and do not move. I will be right back." He instructed Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing to protect their master, while he himself picked up his golden cudgel, followed the sound of crying, pushed aside the thorns, and went forward.

Pushing aside the last clump of thorny bushes, a clearing came into view. There, a child of about six or seven years old, wearing only a red bib, with his chubby arms and legs exposed, was hanging upside down in mid-air with his ankles wrapped in a vine, crying with tears streaming down his face. He looked so pitiful.

When the child saw Sun Wukong approaching, he cried even harder: "Help! Kind monk, save me! I'm tangled in these vines and can't get down!"

Sun Wukong looked closely and saw that the child had red lips and white teeth, and a pleasing appearance, but there was no trace of demonic aura about him, except that there was a ball of fire in his belly.

Seeing his hesitation, the child's cries turned into pleading: "Brother monk, please save me! My parents are gathering herbs in the mountains ahead, and I've gotten lost. Waaah... I'm scared..."

Sun Wukong pondered for a moment, then asked him, "Child, where are you from? Why are you here alone?"

The child sobbed, "I live in Chenjia Village in the front of the mountain. I went into the mountains with my parents to collect herbs, but I got separated from them while watching the butterflies. I didn't expect to get entangled in this strange vine and hang there for so long. Brother monk, please have mercy and let me down!"

His words were clear and his story was plausible, leaving no room for doubt. Although Sun Wukong still had doubts, seeing the child crying so pitifully, he thought that even if there was a trick, a small child like him couldn't cause much trouble. He decided to save him first and then question him carefully.

Just as Sun Wukong was about to reach out and pull the vine, there was a sudden rustling in the bushes beside him, and a ball of fur "whooshed" out, landing and turning into Bai Yeying.

She jumped in front of Sun Wukong, her voice excited: "Great Sage, I'm here."

Sun Wukong paused, looking at Bai Yeying who had suddenly appeared. His golden eyes showed surprise, which then turned into a helpless expression of "Why is it you again?"

He lowered his voice: "Little mouse, why aren't you staying at Trapped Sky Mountain? Why have you come to this mountain again? This place is quite strange, unlike other places."

This rat spirit's enthusiasm for watching the spectacle never wanes.