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

"It's a deal!" Bai Yeying's eyes lit up.

"It's a deal!" Sun Wukong said with a smile.

I chatted with Sun Wukong for a while, mainly listening to his imagination about what he would do after he got out of the village. Although I knew that the journey to the West wouldn't be so free, his hopes at that moment were still wonderful.

Looking at Sun Wukong's heroic spirit, as if he were about to soar freely in the sky after leaving, Bai Yeying suddenly remembered something.

She looked around. Although the Bodhisattva had left, she still subconsciously lowered her voice, leaned close to the head in the tangled hair, and whispered, "Great Sage, please set up a protective barrier. I have something important to tell you."

Sun Wukong was taken aback by her furtive appearance, his golden eyes filled with doubt. But seeing that she looked serious and not joking, he did as she asked and mobilized his spiritual power to set up a barrier around them.

After he finished setting everything up, he urged, "Alright, little mouse, what's all this secrecy about? It's almost dark."

Bai Yeying glanced outside again to make sure no one was eavesdropping before lowering her voice even further, almost as if she were breathing into his ear: "Great Sage, you must remember this: when the pilgrim monks come, if they offer you any kind of monk's hat or flower hat, don't wear it! Especially if they're trying to coax you, you need to be extra vigilant!"

Sun Wukong was a little confused by her words, and blinked his golden eyes: "Why? It's just a hat, what are you going to do with it, eat me, Old Sun?"

"Oh dear, that's no ordinary hat!"

Bai Yeying was so anxious she almost gestured with her paws: "There's a band inside! It's gold! The Buddhist sect specially found it to afflict you! Once you put it on, you can't take it off. Every time they chant a spell, your head will throb with pain, and you'll have no choice but to obey!"

Sun Wukong frowned, his expression turning serious. He stared at Bai Yeying, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Little mouse, this is no small matter. How did you know about this?"

This question made Bai Yeying's heart skip a beat. She couldn't very well say, "I've read 'Journey to the West'," could she?

Her eyes darted around quickly, and a mysterious expression immediately formed on her face. She put a finger to her lips, waving it from side to side, and whispered in a barely audible voice, "Shh... Great Sage, don't ask. It's a secret that can't be revealed!"

After she finished speaking, she looked up at the sky with an air of seriousness, as if some heavenly rule was watching her and she couldn't say anything more.

Sun Wukong: "................."

He was speechless for a moment because of this secret that could not be revealed, but looking at Bai Yeying's strange appearance with worry in her eyes, she didn't seem to be making things up or joking.

"A heavenly secret?" Sun Wukong snorted through his nose, a hint of mockery in his voice, but he remembered the words.

Sun Wukong wasn't someone to be easily fooled. This little rat spirit was indeed a bit strange; she always seemed to know something in advance. For example, she could even know her own karma beforehand.

"Alright, I'll remember this," he finally said, his tone sounding a bit perfunctory, but Bai Yeying knew that with Sun Wukong's shrewdness, he would definitely take this to heart.

"A hat? I, Old Sun, don't care. But if he dares to give it to me, I'd like to see what it is."

"Don't just look! Don't touch it!" Bai Yeying emphasized.

"I know, I know, stop nagging." Sun Wukong waved his still-movable hand impatiently. "You're like a little old woman. Is there anything else? If not, hurry back to your mouse hole. It's getting dark, be careful on the road."

Seeing that he had listened, Bai Yeying finally felt a huge weight lifted from her heart. That was all she could do. As for how things would develop from there, she could only wait and see.

"Great Sage, I'm leaving now. Take care, and wait for good news of our escape!" She stood up and packed her belongings.

"Let's go, let's go." Sun Wukong removed the barrier and urged her on.

"Alright!" Bai Yeying transformed into her original form and disappeared in a flash.

On the way back to Xiankong Mountain, Bai Yeying's feelings were much more complicated than when she arrived.

The Great Sage is about to break free, and the prelude to the Journey to the West begins. But this rat spirit, who should have been one of the victims, seems to have a different possibility because of Guanyin Bodhisattva's words.

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

Half a month later, the bottomless cave in Baikong Mountain.

Bai Yeying finished her morning breathing exercises and felt refreshed, with her demonic energy flowing freely within her. She walked to an open area of ​​the cave and stretched her limbs.

"Madam," Cuiluo approached with a cup of tea, her face bearing her usual gentle smile, "the weather is so lovely today, would you like to go for a walk?"

Bai Yeying took the teacup and took a sip. The sweet aroma of the tea soothed her mood.

"Okay, I'll go practice my whip skills at the waterfall behind the mountain," she said, turning to retrieve the Shadow Whip hanging on the stone wall.

Just then, a surge of spiritual energy emanated from the entrance of the cave, so familiar that it made her heart skip a beat.

Bai Yeying tightened her grip on the whip, her ears beginning to burn uncontrollably. Forcing herself to remain calm, she said to Cuiluo, "You go ahead and get busy, I'm going out."

Cuiluo seemed to have sensed something as well, smiled, and tactfully bowed and withdrew.

Bai Yeying gripped the whip and walked toward the cave entrance as usual.

As soon as she emerged from the cave, the sunlight was a bit dazzling. She raised her hand to shield her eyes, her gaze instinctively sweeping towards the ancient pine tree beside her.

The branches were bare.

She paused for a moment, a strange emptiness settling over her. Was it just her imagination?

"What are you looking at?"

A clear voice, tinged with a lazy tone, came from behind her, very close.

Bai Yeying was startled and turned around abruptly, almost bumping into someone's arms.

Nezha had silently appeared half a step behind her, unnoticed. He was still dressed in that crisp red robe, the red mark on his forehead clearly visible in the sunlight. He lowered his head slightly, his beautiful phoenix eyes fixed on her.

"You scared me!" Bai Yeying took a half step back, clutching her pounding chest, her cheeks flushed. "You...you're here again?"

She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth. What a stupid question! It sounded like she didn't welcome him!

Sure enough, Nezha raised an eyebrow, a hint of disdain in his voice: "What? Is this mountain yours? Can't I come?"

"No, no!" Bai Yeying hurriedly waved her hands, her tongue almost tied in knots. "I mean...you...you've graced us with your presence, I'm so sorry for not welcoming you sooner."

Nezha looked at her flustered yet serious expression and smiled.

"Don't give me that." He interrupted her insincere pleasantries, his gaze falling on the whip in her hand. "Going to practice whipping again?"

"Mm." Bai Yeying nodded, regaining her composure. "I just finished my breathing exercises and want to go to the waterfall behind the mountain to practice my technique some more."

Nezha didn't speak, but crossed his arms and leisurely looked her over, observing her slightly flushed cheeks, her fingers holding the whip, and her almond-shaped eyes that were exceptionally clear after she had just finished her training.

His gaze was clearly devoid of warmth, yet Bai Yeying felt a burning sensation wherever he looked.

"How's your training going?" he suddenly asked.

"It's...it's alright." Bai Yeying felt a little nervous under his gaze and subconsciously tightened her grip on the whip handle. "It's better than before. What you said last time, 'strength arises from the heart, and intention follows the whip,' I'm starting to feel it."

"You're getting a feel for it?" Nezha repeated, his tone ambiguous, neither praising nor mocking. "Talking is useless. Show me what you can do."

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