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

The young man stood tall and straight, dressed in fiery red robes with silver armor protecting his wrists. His features were handsome yet sharp. Just by standing there casually, he seemed completely out of place in this mortal Zen temple.

Although the king was merely a mortal emperor, he possessed extraordinary insight, especially since the other party had not deliberately concealed his aura. The faintly flowing celestial light around him, and the aloofness and indifference in the young man's eyes as if looking down upon the mortal world, indicated that he was no ordinary person.

He was filled with suspicion and uncertainty, wondering who this person was and why they were here. Were they friend or foe? Were they connected to the evil Taoist priest who had harmed him?

For a moment, his newly recovered mind was in a mess. He opened his mouth, but didn't know how to address him. He could only subconsciously cast a questioning look at Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong noticed the king's gaze, grinned, and waved his hand dismissively: "Don't panic, this is from the Heavenly Court, passing by and... well, just doing some inspection."

He spoke vaguely, but the words "heavenly court" were enough to shake the king to his core.

It wasn't a monster after all, but a deity descending upon us!

The king struggled, wanting to pay homage with the most solemn ceremony, but his body simply wouldn't obey him. He could only nod with difficulty, supported by Sun Wukong, his voice hoarse and dry, filled with excitement and fear: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Heavenly God."

Nezha merely glanced at him indifferently. He was already accustomed to the awe and fear of human emperors and was not moved at all.

He nodded slightly in response, then shifted his gaze from the king to Bai Yeying, who was nestled close to Sun Wukong, whispering, "Great Sage, Great Sage, what does the elixir taste like? Is Laozi easy to talk to?"

The girl's face was filled with excitement, and her whole mind seemed to be immersed in the adventures of Sun Wukong.

Nezha pursed his lips almost imperceptibly.

Sun Wukong was quite accommodating to Bai Yeying. Although he found her questions numerous, he still answered the ones he could: "What does the elixir taste like? I, Old Sun, swallowed it whole and have long forgotten. That old man Laozi? He's incredibly stingy! I had to beg and plead before he finally ground one up; I almost got into a fight with him!"

"Wow!" Bai Yeying exclaimed in unison, her eyes sparkling with even more admiration.

Nezha shifted his gaze to the ancient locust tree in the courtyard, its branches and leaves flourishing, as if something particularly interesting had suddenly grown on it.

Seeing Nezha's cold expression, the king dared not say anything more. He then cast a grateful glance at Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong, and began to recount his experiences three years ago: how he was pushed into a well by his sworn brother, a demon, how his soul lingered, and how he had appeared to him in a dream the previous night...

Overcome with grief and indignation, he burst into tears, pleading with the holy monk and the great sage to help him reclaim his kingdom and save his people.

Tang Sanzang sighed repeatedly, offering gentle words of comfort. Sun Wukong, however, rubbed his hands together, his golden eyes gleaming with eager anticipation: "Don't worry! Since I, Old Sun, have run into this mess, I'll definitely help you get rid of that monster and reclaim your throne! Perfect timing, I'll also exchange the travel documents for my master—a win-win situation!"

Pigsy also clamored to go catch the monster, and Sandy nodded silently.

Just as Tang Sanzang and his disciples were discussing with the king how to enter the city and subdue the demon, Nezha, who had been quietly observing, suddenly spoke up, his clear voice breaking the slightly somber atmosphere in the courtyard:

"That evil Taoist is the blue-maned lion under the seat of Manjushri Bodhisattva."

Upon hearing this, the courtyard immediately fell silent.

Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the newly revived and emotionally excited king were all stunned and stared at Nezha in astonishment.

Sun Wukong narrowed his golden eyes, scratched his ear, and didn't seem surprised. He just muttered, "As expected, it's someone from above again."

Bai Yeying blinked, glancing at Nezha and then at Sun Wukong. She knew the original plot, but she hadn't expected Nezha to point it out so directly.

The king was so shocked he forgot to cry, stammering, "Under the tutelage of Manjushri Bodhisattva? This...this..."

Tang Sanzang frowned, clasped his hands together, and whispered, "Amitabha, how could this be? How could the Bodhisattva allow his mount to descend to the mortal realm and cause harm?"

Nezha stood with his arms crossed, his tone calm and even, yet carrying a calm understanding of the world: "There is cause and effect in this. That lion did not descend to the mortal realm on its own; it came at the Buddha's command to settle a matter. Three years ago, Manjushri Bodhisattva disguised himself as a mortal monk to enlighten you, but you bound him and submerged him in the Royal River for three days. Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, the king's face changed drastically, turning deathly pale. His lips trembled, and his eyes revealed realization and deep regret: "Yes...it is true. Back then, I...I was confused for a moment and didn't believe what that monk said. Instead, I thought he was spreading heresy and misleading the people, so..."

"That's it." Nezha interrupted him, his phoenix eyes sweeping over the king's pale face. "Every drink and every bite is preordained. You soaked him for three days, and he sent his mount to soak you for three years. An eye for an eye, a cycle of cause and effect."

Upon hearing this, the king collapsed to the ground, utterly dejected. He felt no more joy at being reborn, only endless regret and confusion.

Tang Sanzang remained silent, uttered a Buddhist chant, and said nothing more. He was compassionate, yet he also deeply understood the severity of the karmic consequences in Buddhism.

Pigsy and Sandy looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

Sun Wukong scratched his head and looked at Nezha: "Third Prince, according to you, should I still fight this monster? Should I still exchange the travel document?"

Nezha glanced at him: "Of course we have to fight, and the official documents need to be changed. You just need to go and challenge them, and the rest is a matter between you and your master and the king."

Sun Wukong, being so shrewd, immediately understood what to do: "Since that lion has usurped someone's throne and taken their life, I, Old Sun, will go and confront him! Master, shall we prepare to enter the city?"

Tang Sanzang also snapped out of his reverie, sighed, and said gently to the king, "Your Majesty, the past is past, but the future can be shaped. The most urgent task is to expose the evil sorcerer, restore your land, and appease the people. As for other matters, we can resolve them gradually in the future."

With Sun Wukong's help, the king stood up, bowed deeply to Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong, and then bowed in the direction of Nezha: "This humble king will follow the holy monk's teachings. Many thanks to the heavenly gods for guiding me through my confusion." Although he was shocked, he was, after all, a king with a resolute will. He quickly suppressed his regret and grasped the most important matter at hand.

The atmosphere inside the courtyard became lively again as they began discussing how to enter the city, how to expose the fake king, and how to deal with potential conflicts.

Seeing that everything was alright, Bai Yeying snuggled back to Nezha's side, tilted her head up, and whispered, "Third Prince, should we follow the Great Sage and the others into the city, or...?"

Nezha looked down at her: "You want to go with me?"

Bai Yeying hesitated for a moment. Going into the city to watch the Monkey King subdue the demon would certainly be exciting, but judging from Nezha's expression, he seemed uninterested in what would happen next. Besides, she had a feeling that he wasn't in a good mood.

"Anything is fine with me." She blinked, throwing the question back at her, and then gave a little flattery, "Being with you, anywhere is fun."

Nezha was taken aback by her sudden sweet words, his ears burning slightly. He turned his face away and scoffed, "Sweet talk." But his tense lips relaxed a little.

He glanced at Sun Wukong, who was rubbing his hands together in the courtyard, and then at the girl beside him who was looking up, waiting for an answer.

"Going into the city, didn't you want to see how that monkey deals with the monster?"

"Hmm!" Bai Yeying's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded, standing next to him without hesitation.