The Mountain Turns and the Road Twists, But the Chicken Is Nowhere to Be Seen - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A flock of immortals rode their swords like wild geese, already streaking across the sky.

I chased after them, shouting.

“Li Xianyun! Li Xianyun! Are you really giving me what was in the box?”

“You’re really giving me that eight-foot-tall, devastatingly handsome man?”

They were too far away. Up above, the immortals burst out laughing.

“Venerable Li, that peasant woman can’t bear to part with you. She chased you all this way, crying the whole time. Ah, she fell.”

“Nothing but a cursed entanglement.”

Li Xianyun’s face was cold as he clenched his fingers.

He did not look down at the ant-sized figure on the ground.

The sword flew even faster.

Once I was tired from running, I knew to quit while I was ahead.

That was how honest folk like us did things. When we received a generous gift, we had to test the giver several times.

Just in case they regretted it.

Even when asking for New Year’s red envelopes, you had to refuse over and over, while keeping your pocket open the entire time so the other person could put it in.

Mother taught me that. It made you look well brought up.

Thinking of the new man in the box, I hurried home to continue unwrapping my present.

But when I rushed back, I was dumbfounded.

The man was lying on the floor, barely alive, clutching my hen in his hand and about to stuff it into his mouth.

He sneered.

“What a vicious trick. You’re trying to starve me to death.”

Chapter 6

The tenth bowl of hot egg noodles was set on the table.

My hen covered her nest and slapped me with her wing.

I watched the man finish the noodle broth. Color finally returned to his lips, and he began to introduce himself.

“I am an ill omen, the thing you fear most.”

I shuddered. “Poverty?”

“…I am the Demon Lord, Shen Xiong.”

I hadn’t expected Li Xianyun to be so arrogant that he would actually give me the sealed Demon Lord.

According to legend, the Demon Lord could summon a lightning tribulation with one hand. He was an untamed, monstrous devil.

Li Xianyun must have already adjusted him properly before giving him to me, right?

I openly sized up this gift.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist.

Shen Xiong was wearing Li Xianyun’s old clothes. They didn’t fit quite right, stretching tight and leaving most of his chest exposed.

The scar running straight through the center had been left by Li Xianyun.

Worried it might affect his ability to work, I asked, “After Li Xianyun beat you up like this, are all five of your legs still intact?”

“It’s fine. I won’t mind even if you’re missing one. You’d still be cute as a guard dog.”

Hatred flashed in Shen Xiong’s eyes.

“What kind of righteous path does Li Xianyun think he represents? Nine thousand people from their immortal sects ambushed me while I was bathing!”

I frowned. “Then that many people saw you naked. I do mind that part.”

Shen Xiong was so angry his ears turned red, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

As if suddenly realizing something, he stared at me warily.

“It seems you are very strong. You can attack someone with only a few words.”

“Speak. What do you want?”

Outside, the sky had gone dark.

Tomorrow was the first day of the autumn harvest, so I had to save my strength for work. Yawning, I crawled under the covers.

“Sleep.”

Half-asleep, I felt Shen Xiong come closer and warm my neck with his palm.

I was so touched.

I wrapped my arms around his hand. It was icy cold, so out of habit, I tucked it against my chest to warm it.

In the past, Li Xianyun’s hands had always been ice-cold too. This was how I warmed them up.

The bed was large, so I dragged my beloved pet in as well.

“Hey! Don’t even think about attacking me!” Shen Xiong struggled the whole time, like a vicious dog with its fur standing on end.

I slapped him.

“Stop fussing.”

Sure enough, he went quiet.

Only heavy breathing remained.

Stiff as a stick, he lay beside me and began to roar, tremble, and scream, his whole body shuddering several times.