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

Nezha then lazily spoke, saying to the skinny man in black robes, "Get lost."

The thin man in the black robe felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He could hardly believe his ears and stood there stunned for a full two breaths before he came to his senses. He then quickly kowtowed twice more.

"Thank you for sparing my life, Immortal! Thank you, Immortal!" After saying this, he scrambled to his feet, not daring to use any more magic, and stumbled and staggered into the depths of the forest, quickly disappearing from sight.

Bai Yeying was somewhat taken aback: "You...you just let him go like that?"

Nezha glanced at her sideways: "Otherwise what? Keep them for the New Year?"

"But he has committed many evils and even knows what we look like..." Bai Yeying said with some worry.

"So what if I know?" Nezha scoffed, his arrogance undisguised. "An ant. Letting it go back to report is just fine. Saves me the trouble of going looking for it."

Bai Yeying: "............."

Fine, you're something else, do as you please.

She thought of the woodcutter she had thrown into the stream, and the villagers whose souls had been possessed, as mentioned by the skinny man in the black robe, and her heart grew heavy again.

Reaching the stream, I leaped across and found the unconscious woodcutter in the bushes. I checked his breathing; though weak, it was steady enough, but his soul was injured and he needed rest.

She carried the woodcutter back to the other side of the river.

Nezha was still standing there. When he saw her carrying a big man back, his brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything.

"Um..." Bai Yeying carefully placed the woodcutter on a flat stone, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and turned to Nezha.

Under the moonlight, the young man, dressed in red and silver armor, stood tall and straight. His face, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared even more handsome than it seemed, and also so aloof that one was hesitant to approach him.

"Thank you, Third Prince... for saving my life." She bowed respectfully, her voice lower than usual, filled with genuine gratitude. If he hadn't appeared in time tonight, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Nezha didn't respond to that. His gaze lingered on the still-bleeding wound on her arm for a moment, then shifted away, looking elsewhere: "Just passing by."

"Just passing by again," Bai Yeying thought to herself. "This is such a coincidence."

She suddenly remembered something and looked at him with her almond-shaped eyes: "That... before, the jade fish..."

The voice grew softer and softer. She had given that thing on a whim and out of guilt. Now that the person in question was right in front of her and had even saved her, she felt the gift was both shabby and childish.

Upon hearing the words "jade fish," Nezha's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. He didn't look at Bai Yeying, his gaze fixed on the dark mountain shadows in the distance, his tone flat and devoid of emotion: "Ugly."

Bai Yeying: "...Oh."

She was indeed rejected. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously picking at the hem of her clothes.

A brief silence spread through the night, broken only by the babbling of the stream and the chirping of unknown insects in the distance.

"You," Nezha suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, "are you planning to stay in these mountains forever?"

Bai Yeying looked up, somewhat bewildered: "Huh? What else?" She was a rat spirit; where else could she go besides cultivating in the mountains? The Heavenly Court? Mount Ling? Or perhaps become the Imperial Preceptor in the mortal realm?

Nezha seemed to be taken aback by her matter-of-fact question. He turned his head and let out a soft snort, as if mocking her lack of ambition, or something else entirely.

"His cultivation is terrible, but his ability to cause trouble is top-notch."

He commented, still with that disdainful tone: "If I hadn't happened to pass by today, you would probably already be a wisp of soul on that damn banner."

Bai Yeying felt somewhat embarrassed by what he said and wanted to refute it, but she couldn't find a way to do so. What he said was true. She was indeed lacking in strength and had almost gotten herself into trouble.

"I...I will work hard to cultivate," she said softly, her voice lacking confidence.

"Effort?" Nezha turned around to face her. In the moonlight, his eyes shone brightly, clearly reflecting her somewhat disheveled yet determined appearance. "How much effort? Like just now, almost killing yourself with training?"

Bai Yeying felt a little flustered under his gaze and lowered her eyelashes: "I...I will be more careful in the future."

"Be careful?" Nezha seemed to have heard a joke, a cold smile curving his lips. "What good is being careful on the path of cultivation? Today it's just a few good-for-nothing evil cultivators, but what about tomorrow? The day after? If you continue to be this weak..."

He paused, emphasizing the word "weak" lightly, yet it stung Bai Yeying like a small thorn.

"It's better to find a big tree to lean on as soon as possible, live a life of ease and comfort."

Those words were a bit harsh. Bai Yeying suddenly raised her head, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting the moonlight, sparkling with a hint of defiant resentment: "I don't want to just laze around and wait to die!"

"Oh?" Nezha crossed his arms leisurely. "So what do you want? To cultivate on your own until the end of time, only to be casually taken care of by some random cat or dog that appears out of nowhere?"

"I..." Bai Yeying was speechless. She knew Nezha's words were harsh, but the truth was undeniable. She was figuring things out on her own, progressing slowly and riskily. But if she couldn't rely on herself, who could she rely on?

She suddenly remembered the Monkey King's words and her previous plans. In a moment of impulsiveness, she blurted out, "I...I can accumulate merit! I'll take it slow and get stronger!"

"Merit?" Nezha seemed to be seriously examining her for the first time, his gaze lingering on her face with a scrutinizing tone and an ambiguous meaning. "You? The merit you gained from saving a woodcutter and almost getting yourself killed?"

Bai Yeying's face flushed even redder, this time from embarrassment. She stiffened her neck, struggling to maintain the last shred of her dignity: "Little by little, it adds up! Constant dripping wears away a stone! I... I have plenty of time!"

Nezha stared at her for a few seconds, until her scalp tingled and she was about to lose her composure, when he suddenly looked away and gazed at the nearly full moon in the sky.

The night breeze lifted the red ribbon behind his neck, causing it to flutter gently.

"what ever."

He uttered those two words, and the phantom image of a whirlwind appeared beneath his feet.

"That woodcutter's soul is unstable; he needs a remedy or method to calm his soul."

His voice drifted on the wind, still devoid of emotion: "If you have any calming herbs or something similar in your cave, perhaps that will help. If not, go find some."

As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of crimson light appeared, and his figure disappeared into the vast night, leaving only the scorching heat and lotus fragrance in the air, and Bai Yeying standing there in a daze.

She blinked, looked at the empty space ahead, then looked down at the unconscious woodcutter on the rock. The resentment she felt from being rebuked strangely dissipated.

Is he reminding her?

Also, did he stop referring to himself as "this prince" just now?

Bai Yeying shook her head, trying to shake off the slight feeling of unease. The most urgent thing was to save lives.

She had some Concentration Grass in her cave; it wasn't very old, but it should be somewhat useful.

She carried the woodcutter on her back and hurried towards Trapped Sky Mountain. She had to get back quickly and try using the Mind-Soothing Grass in combination with her demonic power to see if she could stabilize the woodcutter's soul.

As for Nezha...

If I pass by again next time, shouldn't I thank you properly?

Also, although his birthday gift was considered ugly, he seemed to have accepted it.

The thought made her heart skip a beat, but she quickly dismissed it, thinking she was overthinking it. This person was a powerful deity, someone who had seen all sorts of wonderful things; would he really accept a birthday gift from her?

The night was deep and the mountains and forests were silent.

Only a slender figure, carrying another person on her back, hurried towards the mountain that belonged to her, bathed in moonlight.

When Bai Yeying carried the woodcutter back to the cave in the Trapped Sky Mountain, it was already late at night.

The commotion at the cave entrance startled Teng Han, who was on night watch. He came out with a fluorite lamp and was shocked to see Bai Yeying covered in grass clippings and mud, with an injured arm, and carrying an unconscious stranger on her back. Teng Ye trembled with fright.