Section 2

Shen Li turned her head and saw a burly man behind her reaching out to grab her wing. Having learned from yesterday's experience, she would not be so easily caught. She immediately twisted her neck and fiercely pecked at the outstretched hand. The man let out a cry of pain and angrily shouted, "Chicken! Just wait until I break your neck!"

Oh dear, that is truly unfortunate, I have not seen you even once, not a single time

Shen Li was physically exhausted, but fortunately, the girl behind her was rather clumsy. With some combat skills, she narrowly avoided several deadly strikes. However, her two claws could never outrun the legs of her pursuer, and she could see that the girl was getting angry and was about to get serious. Shen Li flapped her wings in an attempt to fly, but her featherless wings were of no use other than making her running even more difficult. Shen Li was even considering squeezing through a dog hole, but unfortunately, the courtyard of Xingyun was built too solidly; there was not even a crack at the base of the wall, let alone a hole.

Rushing to the street, it was just the right time for street vendors to set up their breakfast stalls. Shen Li glanced back but did not see Xing Yun following her. She let out a long sigh; this Xing Yun was too mysterious. He could understand her words, yet he showed no fear of her at all. With her serious injuries and the need to evade the pursuers from the demon realm, she truly lacked the energy to engage with him. ... Wait a minute ...? ... Seriously injured? Shen Li raised her wings in confusion. Considering the turmoil from yesterday, where did she find the strength to sustain her frantic escape all this way? With her serious injuries and the need to evade the pursuers from the demon realm, she truly lacked the energy to engage with him. ... Wait a minute ...? ... Seriously injured? Shen Li raised her wings in confusion. Considering the turmoil from yesterday, where did she find the strength to sustain her frantic escape all this way?

The courtyard gate was slightly ajar, and there were noisy sounds coming from outside. Shen Li stealthily poked her head out through the crack of the door. The light of the torches illuminated the alley, where two horse-drawn carriages were parked. The plain-clothed girl she had seen yesterday was standing together with her mother, while the male members of their family were loading items onto the carriage. Xing Yun was among them, assisting with the loading. Once everything was loaded, the others gradually boarded the carriage, leaving only the girl and her mother still standing outside.

Shen Li felt as if her bones were about to break. At the moment she was pressed against the chopping board, she suddenly recalled the times on the battlefield when she thrust her silver spear at her enemies. It turned out that... this is what it feels like to be weak

Shen Li exerted all her strength to crawl out of the kitchen, as this person was too dangerous. She had to find another place to recuperate; otherwise, if she continued to stay here, she would surely die.

Damn it! Shen Li was so angry that she wanted to curse the heavens. Can you not think of eating every time you see a chicken? After all, it is a life. How can you all speak so lightly about it?

Xing Yun waved his hand and said, "Take care." Immediately after, without any reluctance, he turned around, leaving Shen Li behind, and began to fiddle with pots and pans while rolling up his sleeves, saying, "Let's cook."

Once gone, there is no return date, and from now on, life will not bring us together again ... Shen Li let out a sigh, watching the drifting clouds as they bid farewell to the carriage moving far away, amidst the clattering sound of the wheels ...

Amidst the sound of rolling wheels, her escape would not be so conspicuous, would it

Shen Li's figure flashed as she darted under the table of a street vendor. The burly man angrily pursued her, knocking over the small stall, which led to a dispute between the vendor and him. Seizing this opportunity, Shen Li weaved through various stalls. Ahead, a wooden board blocked her path; she paused for just a moment when her neck was seized, and then her entire body was lifted: "Stop the noise, stop the noise, this chicken is right here." Another vendor grabbed Shen Li and headed in that direction.

Shen Li held her breath, raised her claw, and drew three bloody scratches on the back of that person's hand: "Ah! What a fierce chicken!" The person, in pain, suddenly loosened their grip, and Shen Li fell to the ground. With no time to pay attention to his curses, she rolled on the spot and darted into a narrow alley like an arrow. She only stopped when she was sure no one was chasing her, lying on the ground to catch her breath

However, Shen Li was now completely exhausted, having spent a great deal of effort to crawl for a long time, only managing to reach the front yard before losing all her strength. The main gate was just within reach, yet she could not grasp it no matter how hard she tried. The dim light of dusk fell bleakly on her bare back, and then she heard Xing Yun call out, "Dinner is ready." After that, she was lifted and placed in front of a bowl of stew.

"Hmph, you wild chicken, let's see if I don't take care of you." The young woman grabbed Shen Li and headed towards the kitchen

"This cannot be stewed." As the words fell, Shen Li was embraced in a warm hug, the faint scent of medicine filled her nostrils, and she surprisingly felt that this fragrance was extremely pleasant.

Furthermore, my name is Xingyun, please address me properly. Besides, what of it if I sell myself?

In the month of March, the night still lingers long. When the rooster crows to herald dawn, the sky remains dark. Shen Li suddenly awakens with a start from her dream, having sensed the faint sound of footsteps approaching from the ground. However, the moment she opens her eyes, she discovers that she has been covered by a piece of cloth without knowing when it happened. She is greatly alarmed, wondering if she has been captured by the Demon Lord's bag of the universe.

It is truly ... ... extremely outrageous

Shen Li struggled desperately, only to see a man walk out of the house: "No one in the next door raises chickens, so it must have run over from somewhere. Just stew it; there’s plenty of work today, and I’ll make up for it when I come back tonight"

Shen Li lay on the ground, watching as the girl walked to the door, still reluctant to leave, glancing back one last time. In the end, she wiped her nose and left with her head down. Shen Li sighed; the girl was indeed a bit foolish, her temperament too stubborn, yet her heart was devoted. How could she have fallen for such a man who engaged in the flesh trade and lacked any romantic sensibility

What is this doing

That's enough... Let's eat our fill first and then talk.

What on earth was splashed on her...

Shen Li's eyes suddenly brightened, and she looked around, finding no one in sight, only the drifting clouds still bidding farewell to the old neighbors. Shen Li squeezed through the door gap and ran wildly towards the direction extending into the alley.

Hmm. He helped Shen Li cover herself with the quilt, and Xing Yun sat down beside her, reaching out to tug at her black hair that was spread out on the ground, smiling as he said, "Your hair is quite abundant." His gaze moved downward, lingering on her features, and after a careful examination, he remarked, "Her appearance is quite distinctive; she is indeed a good-looking girl."

Shen Li lay on the cutting board as if she were dead, having lost even the strength to convulse.

The young lady's face was indeed as pale as death, while Xingyun maintained her usual smile, "Are you here to demand a gift? Well, I don't have much to give you, but if you don't mind..."

Indeed. "Xingyun squints and smiles: 'I am playing with you.'"

The sound of clattering pots and pans fell silent: "Hmm? What business are you in?"

Didn’t you just sell yourself? What other business can you do

Shen Li opened her mouth in shock, speechless. Is this what a man should say at such a moment? He even emphasized once again how great the enmity is between you and her.

On this night, the moonlight was bright and clear. Shen Li seemed to have had a dream; she regained her human form and lay beneath the grape trellis. The chill, mingling with the moonlight, seeped into her bare skin, prompting her to instinctively wrap her arms around her exposed limbs. At that moment, a thin blanket seemed to descend from the heavens, covering her. The warmth and faint scent of medicine that followed made her unable to resist curling the corners of her lips. She grasped the edge of the blanket and rubbed against it, sinking deeper into a dream.

"Well, I haven't seen you much on ordinary days." The voice of Xingyun was calm, while the girl in plain clothes had tears welling up, her cheeks as red as her eye sockets: "That's not true! I can see you every day! I can see you quietly every day..." Her voice trembled, and even Shen Li could not bear to blame her any further; she was just a lovesick child

Shen Li turned her head inadvertently, and in the precarious balance between life and death, a man in a blue robe and white attire leaned against the doorframe. The light behind him seemed to cast a halo of compassion around him. A kitchen knife fell before Shen Li, embedding itself into the cutting board, thereby obstructing her line of sight

Running all the way until noon, when she reached the outskirts of the city, Shen Li had encountered at least ten individuals intent on capturing and devouring her. Exhausted and famished, she could run no more and plopped down on the grass by the riverbank. She leaned her head into the water and took a couple of sips, then quietly gazed at the overcast sky, watching as a spring rain was about to fall.

In a moment of panicked struggle, her head finally breathed in the air of the outside world. There was no demon lord, nor were there pursuing soldiers; she was still sleeping under the grape trellis, still resembling a featherless wild chicken. The air was thick with dew. Faint sounds came from the front yard, and Shen Li cautiously walked towards it.

Ah... um, I am sorry, I do not know. I just wanted to leave you something before I go..." The girl in plain clothes intertwined her fingers behind her back, her eyes slightly reddening, "Tomorrow I will be heading south with my father to engage in business, and I may never return. I will no longer be able to see Brother Xingyun..."

"But is it really such a heinous crime to just sell my body and have some fun with you?" Xing Yun adopted a conciliatory attitude, "Alright, alright, I won't let you notice next time." After saying this, he gently poked Shen Li's forehead and stood up to continue cooking

The two eyes met the woman's pupils, and the height difference suddenly made Shen Li realize her current identity. Combining the experiences of yesterday and today, just as Shen Li thought to herself that it was bad, the woman was grabbed by the wing: "Whose chicken is this? Why is it let out when it has been plucked clean?"

The man adjusted his clothes and was about to go out, while the woman accompanied him to the door. Before leaving, the man reached out and touched the woman's head, saying: "My dear, you will have to work hard again today."

Ah. "Xing Yun was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly shook his head and laughed, "I was careless and you saw through me." He crouched down and looked directly into Shen Li's eyes, "What’s wrong with selling myself?"

Before the words in her mind were fully formed, a sharp pain shot through her wings. The girl in the simple dress forcefully lifted Shen Li, gripping her wings tightly with both hands, not letting go despite Shen Li's desperate struggles with her legs.

The man's monotonous voice was inappropriate for this moment

Shen Li had no mind to pay attention to him, only astonishedly saying, "Is he really talking to me!" Shen Li was so shocked that her whole body trembled three times. Could this guy have been able to read her thoughts from the very beginning, or did he know from the start that she was not a chicken? ... Then he was actually playing with her, right

"Rest assured, Auntie, Xingyun knows." He replied with a smile, and the middle-aged woman seemed deeply moved, letting out a sigh as she covered her face and got into the car. Only the little girl remained standing face to face with Xingyun.

It is truly not easy to raise a common chicken

"Where did this strange chicken come from!" A coarse voice suddenly came from behind, "Running into the middle of the road, do you want me to take it and serve it for a feast?"

Shen Li was taken aback, momentarily stunned by such a nonchalant provocation.

Upon hearing these words, the young lady's eyes suddenly reddened, and two clear tears fell. She deeply bowed to bid farewell, saying: "Brother Xingyun, take care"

Upon careful reflection, it seems that it was the same when I woke up yesterday morning; my physical strength recovered remarkably quickly. Could it be that that person named Xingyun did something to her? Or could it be due to the food she consumed? Remembering that unusually delicious steamed bun and the bowl of overly fragrant risotto from last night, Shen Li unconsciously stretched her neck and swallowed.

Selling...! Selling one's body, so what? Playing with her, so what! Has this guy consumed all notions of chastity and integrity? How can he calmly utter such words! What kind of demon is this!

"No need." The young woman hurriedly said, "No need." She covered her heart, her expression pale, and staggered away

The plain-clothed girl, in stark contrast to her earlier fierce demeanor, clasped her hands behind her back and blushed shyly: "Xingyun Ge... I, um, I just wanted to come and see you. This chicken has been plucked, and if it isn't stewed soon, it will die, and then it won't taste good."

She had never felt so much embarrassment, sadness, and despair; she swore! A blood oath! If she were to be stewed like a chicken today, she would become a vengeful spirit, killing her way to the ninety-ninth heaven, splattering the Heavenly Emperor with blood! If it were not for that marriage arrangement, how could she have ended up in this situation!

The woman's face flushed, her grip loosened, and Shen Li seized the opportunity to turn around and bite her. The woman let out a startled cry, and Shen Li broke free from her restraints and fell to the ground, then fled desperately outside, leaving the couple to continue their affectionate exchange.

Xingyun, your parents passed away early. Although we have been neighbors all these years, we have not been able to help you much. Looking back now, I feel quite guilty. With their departure, it is likely that we will never meet again. Please take good care of yourself in the future

At this moment, heading south, one is bound to encounter fields of peach blossoms. Xing Yun gazed towards the end of the alley and suddenly said softly, "I am not a good man." These four words carried a slight weight. Upon hearing this, Shen Li couldn't help but raise her eyes to look at him. His profile, illuminated by the backlight, possessed a captivating beauty, yet there was no fluctuation in his eyes. It was not indifference; he was genuinely of a reserved nature. Shen Li stared at him in a daze, suddenly feeling that this person might be far more complex than she had imagined.

She was lost in thought when the courtyard door behind her creaked open with a sound. A basin of water, mixed with mud and vegetable leaves, splashed all over her: "Today the street is so lively," a woman's voice rang out. Shen Li felt the rotten vegetable leaves sliding down from the top of her head, falling to the ground with a thud. In her astonishment, mixed with an anger that was about to erupt, she slowly turned her head to look at the young woman behind her.

As soon as Shen Li finished speaking, she suddenly realized something was amiss. She quickly turned her head to look, and saw Xing Yun raising an eyebrow and staring at her. Shen Li was astonished; was he... was he talking to her?

The young woman hung her head in silence, the flickering light of the torch reflecting a shimmering glow in her eyes