He tried to make his words more convincing, mimicking Sun Wukong’s tone as he spoke.
"You're lying. You’re not Sun Wukong at all."
The little boys still didn’t quite believe him, their eyes filled with skepticism.
Lin Ran: "Believe it or not, I know magic." He decided to prove his identity further.
"What kind of magic?"
The boys were intrigued, eager to see if Lin Ran was telling the truth.
"My backpack can do backflips."
Little Black inside the backpack: ???
Lin Ran flipped upside down, took off his backpack, and tossed it to the ground.
"Watch this."His movements were a bit comical, but he didn’t care at this point.
Lin Ran formed hand seals and began chanting a spell. The longer he hung upside down, the redder his face grew from the blood rushing to his head.
"I—am—the—great—sage—flip now!"
He chanted loudly, looking utterly serious.
As soon as the incantation left his lips, the backpack actually jumped up. The two boys watched in amazement as the backpack somersaulted.
It was as if the backpack had come to life, flipping over and over on the ground. Their eyes widened with shock and curiosity.
igsrc=
"htts:
3-readg-sign.fqnoveli ovel-ic-r
01fdd4af96fa6d213d581963a83be443~tlv-noo.web?lk3s=0942ef47&a;x-exires=1743922188&a;x-signature=kV6naOoo3LBtRRHRurNTb2aiN9g%3D
"ig-width=
"780
"ig-height=
"780
"alt=
"
"
Backpack Backflips As the backpack flipped faster and faster, it eventually tumbled into the bushes and disappeared.
Lin Ran: ???
He hadn’t expected this outcome. He’d only meant to stall for time, but now his backpack was gone.
Suddenly, he felt inspired to compose a poem.
[One flip, two flips, three flips more, $2our and five and six galore, $2even, eight, nine—oh what a sight, $2lipped into the bush, now out of sight.]
Lin Ran silently recited it in his mind, quite pleased with his creativity.
Good poem. Great poem.
"We believe you’re Sun Wukong now. We were wrong—we’ll let you down."
The boys were thoroughly convinced by Lin Ran’s "magic," now certain he was the legendary Monkey King.
[Little Black: "These kids are hopeless. They actually bought that ridiculous excuse."]
Little Black grumbled from the bushes, utterly unimpressed with the boys’ intelligence.
Soon, Lin Ran was freed. He retrieved his backpack from the bushes and dusted it off.
[Little Black: "Heh. I was just checking if there were any ambushers hiding in there."]
[Lin Ran: "Think you’re funny?"]
[Little Black: "Aren’t I? You made this adorable little cat do backflips like some circus act. What were you thinking?"]
[Lin Ran: "Gotta admit, though, you’re pretty quick when it comes to running away."] Lin Ran teased.
[Little Black: "I was this close to leaving you here to fend for yourself."]
Just then, one of the boys spoke up: "Sun Wukong, can you help us win this training match?"
His eyes sparkled with hope.
Lin Ran thumped his chest confidently. "No problem. What are the rules?"
Right now, he just wanted to wrap this up and find Luo Yao.
"Three versus three, fight until one side surrenders or dies. The winners get trained by a really powerful master."
The boy’s tone was eerily casual, as if life-and-death battles were an everyday affair.
Lin Ran’s expression turned to shock.
He couldn’t believe children were involved in something so brutal.
[Little Black: "Dumbfounded, huh?"]
It cursed in Lin Ran’s mind.
Lin Ran suddenly noticed something odd. "Three versus three… but there are only two of you."
He glanced at the boys, puzzled.
"Our teammate hasn’t come back yet. So we’re waiting for her. You just hide, and when the fight starts, use your magic to defeat the other side."
Lin Ran nodded. Finding Luo Yao was his priority—he’d already wasted too much time with these kids.
He just wanted this over with so he could continue his search.
"Who’s your teammate?"
"White-Eyed Wolf. She’s not the nicest, but she’s strong."
Lin Ran immediately realized "White-Eyed Wolf" must be Luo Yao.
While most kids their age were still under their parents’ care, growing up safe and sound, these children were already facing life-and-death battles—the harshest of realities.
Now that he knew Luo Yao would show up soon, Lin Ran wasn’t in a hurry anymore.
"What are your names?"
"I’m Luo Shuigou, and this is my brother, Luo Shuimao."
One of the boys blinked his big, bright eyes and answered in a sweet, childish voice. His youthful face bore a hint of pride, and he looked at his brother with utter reliance.
The Luo family—a renowned and powerful clan, its members as numerous as stars in the sky.
Even after sending so many children out for training, they could still fill their ancestral home to the brim. Truly a flourishing lineage.
For such a massive family to eventually fall under his wife’s control… just how formidable was Luo Yao?
"Alright, since your names are so… creative, I’ll reluctantly help you out."
"Great! Find a hiding spot. We’ll go get White-Eyed Wolf and be back soon."
Luo Shuigou spoke with utmost seriousness, his little face stern like a miniature adult, which was both amusing and endearing.
Lin Ran gave a slight nod, scanning the area for a good place to hide.
The two boys darted off like agile fawns, vanishing into the dense woods in no time, leaving Lin Ran alone.
Knowing they’d return, Lin Ran pondered where to conceal himself. A cave?
No, too obvious. Maybe the bushes—thick foliage could serve as a natural shield, hiding him perfectly.
Then, his gaze landed on an enormous withered tree near the cave.
The tree grew against the mountainside, its trunk astonishingly thick—nearly two meters in diameter.
Its rough bark bore the marks of time, whispering tales of ancient days.
This was no ordinary pine. The mottled patterns and twisted branches suggested an ancient, nameless tree, exuding an air of mystery.Thɪs
Lin Ran initially intended to hide behind the tree, but as he approached, he suddenly noticed a tangle of wild weeds blocking the base. The unruly plants sprawled and twisted together like a knotted mess.
A surge of curiosity welled up in Lin Ran’s heart. He crouched down and carefully pushed aside the overgrowth.
“There’s actually a hole here?”
Lin Ran’s eyes widened in astonishment.
The opening was neither too large nor too small—just enough for a person to squeeze through. The dark, gaping mouth of the cave exuded an irresistible allure, as if beckoning him forward.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Ran bent down and crawled inside. The moment he entered, the sight before him left him utterly stunned.