Jinyu perched above the Blue Silver Grass, mischief filling its eyes.
The little golden snake, barely a foot long, coiled on Tang Wulin's shoulder. Its tail swayed gently, leaving a faint golden trace in the air.
Its dark-gold slit pupils fixed on the Thunder Mouse below, reflecting the blue-white arcs dancing across its fur. Its mouth opened slightly, revealing two fangs no bigger than needlepoints. It kept hissing. The sound was soft, but it carried clearly through the quiet forest.
Judging by the Thunder Mouse's furious reaction, Jinyu's mockery had struck home.
The Thunder Mouse's cheeks puffed out even rounder. It clutched its half-eaten wild fruit in its front paws, while the arcs at the tips of its ears leaped faster than before, crackling. Its beady black eyes glared at the golden snake, many times smaller than itself. Its purple fur stood on end, and the forked whip at the end of its tail slapped the ground twice, leaving two charred marks.
"Boss, you might as well call that Soul Spirit of yours Chatterbox."
Xie Xie crouched behind a fallen tree trunk, half his head poking out. He tilted his short-haired head, his dark-green eyes darting from Jinyu to the bristling Thunder Mouse.
"What Chatterbox? I think Jinyu suits it just fine."
Jinyu turned toward Gu Yue, its slit pupils slowly rounding like a kitten seeing its owner.
Its head swung around, and its dark-gold eyes settled on Gu Yue's face. The thin slits of its pupils widened into two round black beads. Its mouth closed, and the hissing stopped. Even its tail went still, hanging limply over Tang Wulin's shoulder with the tip lightly hooked around his collar.
Of course it knew she was talking about it.
"See?"
Gu Yue tipped her chin toward Tang Wulin.
The corner of