Section 1

Perhaps her gaze was too focused and piercing, as Xingyun suddenly turned her head to glance at her and said淡淡道: "My name is Xingyun." It was as if she was deliberately emphasizing it. Shen Li was taken aback, but then saw Xingyun patting her robe as she stood up, while hammering her numb foot and mumbling, "Ah, it's time to take the medicine." Then she limped into the house, her posture even awkwardly comical.

Yesterday, she was pierced back to her original form by that sword from the ink side, falling into the mountains and forests, where she was found by a hunter. She knew that her golden fur had been plucked away, but she never expected that the rough man, the hunter, would be so excessively skillful! He must have taken her and boiled her in scalding water! Not a single hair was left on her body! Not even one! How on earth did he manage to do that! Shen Li was on the verge of tears, recalling how just a few days ago she had laughed at a bald civil servant in the court. At that time, she was confused and did not understand why he was crying. Now, she truly wished she could poke her past self into a sieve; it was her own loose tongue... Today, she has received her retribution...

Who asked you to give charity! Shen Li gritted her teeth in hatred, but the situation was pressing, so she could only close her eyes, peck a hole in the ground with her beak, and bury her head inside, wishing she could just bury herself there and die.

After he finished speaking, he stood up and returned to the room. Shen Li was taken aback and hurriedly followed him into the room. How outrageous it was to think of dismissing her with just one steamed bun! She would not accept anything less than two!

What the hell! Who asked you to meddle! Shen Li was taken aback; she was currently devoid of any magical power, and if she really ended up in the pot, it would be disastrous! She turned and ran out of the house. The girl, unwilling to back down, took off after her, saying, "Oh no, running will get me dirty, and it's hard to wash!"

No need. Xingyun took out the money and placed it in the vendor's hand, saying, "It is worth this price; selling it for less would make it unhappy."

Shen Li was momentarily taken aback, even though she had seen many handsome men, there were probably not many with such an ethereal demeanor, even among the deities of the heavenly realm. Shen Li averted her gaze; there was no time to be captivated by beauty. She knew that if she lingered in one place for too long, she would surely be discovered, so she had to leave quickly

The dark clouds suddenly gathered, threatening to destroy the city. Thunder rumbled within the clouds, and the townspeople all stayed indoors, unable to venture out. Only the owner of an ordinary residence in the west of the city opened the door to his backyard, where the tall bamboo and trellis rustled in the strong wind, and his hair and the hem of his clothes danced in the wind like falling bamboo leaves.

A battle-hardened person is incredibly sensitive. Shen Li immediately opened her eyes, her clear gaze directed towards the source of the sound. She saw a girl in simple clothes peeking her head over the courtyard wall, looking around clumsily as she attempted to climb up. However, once she was on the wall, she did not know how to get down. In the end, in her desperation, she leaned too far and fell heavily to the ground.

Shen Li gritted her teeth and tried hard to stand up, but she never expected that the sword thrust by Mo Fang near her heart would be so powerful that it left her unable to move even now. She lay on the ground convulsing for a while, filled with both resentment and helplessness. However, when she looked up, she saw the man with a playful smile, waving at her and saying: "Come here, come here."

And the figure of the person has long since vanished from the clouds

The civil officials of the demon clan fear her, the military generals respect her, and other men tremble if they come within three steps of her; who would dare to look at her in such a manner. However, the moment of heart palpitations is fleeting, as Shen Li is ultimately a prince accustomed to the storms of life. She swiftly extracted the small sprout that had emerged from her heart, delivering an inhumane destruction, and then, without hesitation, used her bare chicken wing to pat Xing Yun's knee, followed by poking the spot where she had just eaten the steamed bun with her beak

"Come here, cluck cluck."

"Ah, I'm awake." Before Shen Li could stand up, she heard the man, still groggy from sleep, say, "I thought I was going to die." Shen Li turned her head to look at him and saw the man sitting in a rocking chair, not even shifting his body, smiling at her. He casually sprinkled some crumbs of the steamed bun in her direction and then made a teasing clucking sound, "Gaga."

Will the chicken still get angry? The vendor scratched his head as he watched him walk away, then turned around to open his palm and stared for a long time. Suddenly, he shouted: "Hey! Young master, the money you gave is not enough to buy that chicken... Hey! That young master! Hey! Hey! You little rascal, stop right there! You gave me too little money!"

On the second day, Xing Yun, dressed in a blue robe and white garments, walked through the bustling market. Amidst the cacophony of sounds, it seemed as though another voice was calling out to him, causing him to pause involuntarily. "Fresh chickens for sale, plump chickens!" The vendor's call rang particularly loud in his ears, and he turned on his heel and walked in that direction.

Shen Li was momentarily frozen in place. Although her original form was that of a phoenix, she had been in human form since birth, and was born with the ancient divine artifact, the Azure Pearl of the Vast Sea. From a young age, she had attracted considerable attention. When she achieved her first military merit at the age of five hundred, the Demon Lord conferred upon her the title of Azure King. Since then, she had been further honored, and in the demon realm, who would dare to belittle her? Today...! Today, this tyrant of the demon realm was actually teased like livestock by a mere mortal! It was an utter humiliation!

"Time to take a bath." Before Shen Li could savor her appearance, the man suddenly flicked his hand and directly threw her into the pond

In a world of chaos, amidst the confusion, Shen Li saw a burly man with a face full of stubble approaching her. He unceremoniously grabbed her, a wicked smile on his face

As soon as she fell, Shen Li choked on a few mouthfuls of water. The instinct to survive drove her featherless wings to flap incessantly. The man had initially laughed at her cowardice, but upon seeing Shen Li's frantic struggle, he furrowed his brow and asked with concern, "Oh, you can't swim, can you?"

The demon clan is not like those immortals in the heavens who do not require food and cannot die; they, like humans, also need sustenance. However, Shen Li has always had a preference for meat and has never touched vegetables, so it is indeed quite difficult to get her to eat steamed buns

Hmm? Do you need another one?" Xingyun smiled, "That's all, I've only done this much today"

She followed closely at Xingyun's feet, but now she was physically exhausted, panting just from climbing over the threshold. All she could do was watch helplessly as Xingyun carried the bundle and walked through the front yard, pushing the door to leave, only leaving behind a faint remark: "Gēgēdā, take good care of the house, I will return after I finish selling myself."

Awakened from a nightmare, Shen Li gasped for breath. After a while, she slowly raised her head on the grassy ground. Looking around, it appeared to be the backyard of a certain household, featuring a small pond made of stones, young grapevines just sprouting, and beneath the vines, there was a bamboo rocking chair. A man lay lazily on it, not a hunter with a bulky physique, nor a sleazy chicken vendor, but a fair-skinned man dressed in blue and white. He had his eyes closed, allowing the sunlight filtering through the grapevines to dapple over him.

Shen Li rested her head on the threshold of the backyard, as the sunlight in the courtyard gradually slanted to an afternoon angle. The sound of tender leaves on the grapevines swaying in the wind filled her ears. Such comfortable days had been long absent, and Shen Li found herself momentarily entranced, with the myriad of complicated thoughts in her mind almost vanishing. Just as she was about to fall asleep, a faint sound broke the tranquility.

Shen Li lay on the ground and surveyed the room. The person did not live in wealth, but neither were they impoverished. As a tall man of seven feet, with strong limbs, what could he not do? Yet, he had to... Ah, right, perhaps he simply preferred this... Shen Li suddenly realized, but upon glancing at the sky outside, she couldn't help but frown. Is it really wise to conduct such business during the day? ... Well, it can't be helped if he likes it. She would just stay here to recuperate for a few days and go along with him.

Shen Li's heart let out a cold snort, turning her head away in disregard, but she suddenly recalled that the suffering she endured yesterday seemed to stem from her "refusal to eat." Her body stiffened, and after pondering for a long while, she finally gritted her teeth and, with a proud demeanor, reluctantly walked up to the man.

Come on, you old man! Shen Li erupted in anger, desperately trying to jump up, bouncing around, but after barely covering a distance of less than one foot, she fell hard to the ground, her sharp beak landing right on a piece of steamed bun crumb.

Does your chicken swim? How ignorant can you be?

Shen Li felt that there must have been something wrong with her eyesight before; how could such a person possess any divine or ethereal quality? He was clearly... quite ordinary.

Sacred? A mortal?

Before the man could react, Shen Li opened her mouth wide and snatched the steamed bun, placing it on the clean bluestone slab before devouring it ravenously

As Shen Li rolled her eyes and fainted, he merely smiled faintly and poked her bald forehead, saying, "One must be polite; my name is Xing Yun, not some random fellow"

When Shen Li awoke again, it was already the morning of the second day. In the light of dawn, she happened to see that person crouched by the pond, pinching steamed buns to feed the fish. He seemed to be extremely fond of this pond of fish, completely unaware that his sleeves were soaked in the water. His profile, illuminated by the backlight, possessed an indescribable sense of sanctity.

The vendor replied, "Ah, this chicken is too ugly. If you want it, I can give you a discount..."

At just the right moment, Shen Li, who was too focused on observing her, had not yet found a place to hide when the two of them ran into each other. They locked eyes for a long time. Shen Li thought that now, having been reduced to her original form, she would not cause any unnecessary misunderstandings. To her surprise, the girl walked straight towards her and muttered, "Xingyun Ge is really something; why let a plucked chicken run free? It should be stewed quickly." She wiped away a tear and said, "Consider this a farewell meal for you."

"Do not rush, do not rush, there is still some here," the man said as he entered the room and brought out a large steamed bun. He squatted down in front of her, extended it towards her, and smiled gently, "Here you go."

Eh ... ! ... Wait a moment ! What is going on ? ! Bathing ! ? Who said anything about bathing ! You scoundrel ! Let go of this king ! As long as you dare to touch even a single hair of this king ... ! A single hair ... ...

Tease... tease the chicken

Sensing the faint medicinal fragrance wafting from him, Shen Li took a closer look at Xing Yun and noticed that his lips had a slight dark hue and there were faint shadows under his eyes, indicating a sign of short lifespan

Falling hard, Shen Lixin thought, how can someone so foolish even attempt to be a thief? Not only did they fail to steal anything, but they could also end up getting themselves killed first

After finishing the last crumbs of the steamed bun, Shen Li finally looked up at Xing Yun. She saw the person beside her resting their chin on their hand, their gaze gentle and seemingly amused as they looked at her. In truth, it was merely a normal way to look at a pet, but Shen Li, caught off guard, felt her heart skip a beat at this ordinary gaze. She turned her head slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Severely injured and devoid of magical power, after struggling for a while, she could no longer hold on. Just when she thought she would be toyed with and killed by a mere mortal today, a bamboo pole swept in, suddenly lifting her up and bringing her to the edge of the pond. The man squatted down and lightly pressed on her smooth chest, saying: "Keep breathing, do not stop breathing, this way you will survive"

The weather has turned for the worse. A slight curve appeared at the corner of his lips as he gazed up at the sky, where he noticed a glimmer of silver slowly descending from the dark clouds, disappearing between the mountains and fields outside the city. There are variables at play

The man stared at her bald head, and suddenly the corners of his lips curled up as he smiled and said, "Not eating? Then let's take a bath first." As he spoke, he pinched her two wings and lifted her, heading towards the pond.

At this moment, Shen Li truly wished she could cover herself in filth; she would rather be dirty to death, if that were possible

Outrageous! How dare they treat her like a guard dog! ... No, wait ... ... She stared in astonishment at the figure of the man who had just closed the door, he had just mentioned selling. ... ... What?

Shen Li stared blankly at her reflection in the pond... there was truly not a single hair left...

The damp body convulsed uncontrollably, and before losing consciousness, Shen Li stared at him with wide eyes: This guy is deliberately tormenting him, right? It must be intentional, right?

Very good! Shen Lixin thought, although this mortal has seen many of her unflattering appearances, fortunately, life is short, and after death, in the cycle of reincarnation, all will be forgotten. She will still be the radiant Princess of the Azure Sky without any blemish. ... With this thought, her heart lightened, and she stretched her neck to take a bite of the steamed bun. The soft and glutinous food made Shen Li's eyes suddenly brighten. This ...! ... This steamed bun is delicious to an extraordinary degree!

The memories that had been tormented by him surged forth like a tidal wave, and Shen Li blinked vigorously to shake off the haze in her eyes, replacing it with a vigilant gaze

In the chicken coop, more than ten chickens were crowded inside, among which a featherless chicken stood out remarkably. However, it appeared to be in extremely poor spirits, with its head drooping and eyes downcast, resembling a creature on the verge of death. Xingyun stared at it intently for a long time, then said with a smile: "I want this one."

Shen Li did not think too much about it; she immediately probed her aura inward. She sighed in disappointment, realizing that it was indeed impossible for her magical power to recover so quickly. However, this was also a good thing, as the people of the demon realm could not detect her aura for the time being. But with the Demon Lord's thunderous methods, finding her was only a matter of time. By then, if she had not yet regained her magical power...

Too lazy to continue wasting thoughts on a mere mortal, Shen Li moved her head and tried to stand up. She had thought that given the injuries from yesterday, she would definitely be unable to get up now. However, to her surprise, after such a struggle, she found that her physical strength had actually recovered even faster than usual!

"You audacious scoundrel! Let go of this king!" The skin burned with a fiery pain, ... She struggled desperately, exerting all her strength to escape, but in her weakened state, she was still tightly restrained from behind, her arms twisted and her legs bound, and then ...

You wretched thing! If you dare to untie the ropes and fight her, she will surely poke out the eyes of this ignorant mortal!

Plucked all the feathers from its body

Shen Li exerted great effort to vaguely hear her mumbling something like "I will never see you again"; she must be a girl who is fond of the clouds. As Shen Li pondered this in her heart, he saw that the girl had cried enough, wiped the tears that had fallen on the table with a cloth, and turned to leave

Shen Li was lost in thought when she suddenly heard a call from behind. Angrily, she turned her head and saw a man in a blue robe and white attire sitting on the bluestone steps, offering her a white steamed bun, saying: "It's time to eat."

The young woman rubbed her bottom and stood up, walking straight into the room. Shen Li quietly retreated to the shadows, only to see the girl in plain clothes take out a broom and a cloth, silently and efficiently starting to clean the room. Once she had tidied up the room to a satisfactory state, she began to wipe the table. However, as she wiped, her tears began to fall uncontrollably, and eventually, she leaned on the table and cried out loud.