—
Mù Xuán walked toward the other side of the house, where a small garden stretched under the soft sunlight.
The garden opened like a secret haven, tucked between the pale walls of the house and the glimmering lake, mist rising lazily over the golden water, curling into the air like threads of silk.
The trees at the edge leaned over the pond, leaves trembling in the wind, casting shadows that danced across the garden floor.
—
A cluster of chickens pecked at the earth, each one a rare gem.
A crimson-feathered hen, wings tipped in sapphire, strutted with haughty elegance.
A golden rooster glimmered in the sunlight, silver streaks running through its tail feathers, its red comb sharp as a blade.
Other chickens strutted proudly, their plumage shimmering in hues of ruby red, jade green, and pearly white, streaks of gold catching the sunlight, hopping daintily between grass tufts, claws clicking against stone.
—
A flock of ducks waddled near the pond, their feathers deep midnight blue with iridescent flashes of violet, heads bobbing gracefully.
—
White rabbits with streaks of silver hopped between the shrubs, noses twitching, ears perked, a subtle shimmer in their fur that seemed almost magical.
Some had a faint glow in their fur, a subtle sheen that gave them an almost mystical appearance.
—
Everything about the place felt alive — the gentle chirps of birds, the rustle of leaves, the soft lapping of water against the stones — yet it held a quiet majesty, as if the world itself had paused here, giving Mù Xuán her sanctuary.
—
A few hens scratched at the soil, dust flying in tiny golden clouds.
Mù Xuán paused, silver hair catching the sunlight, eyes narrowing playfully at her little army.
She smirked, soft, mischievous, and stepped to the small wooden door of the chicken enclosure.
"Hello, friends," she said, rubbing her hands together.
The chickens scattered instantly, wings flapping, claws clattering, a riot of feathers and angry clucks filling the garden.
One fat, ruby-gold bird with glimmering wings paused, cocking its head as if assessing the intruder, before darting off again.
—
Mù Xuán laughed, her voice light and musical, echoing through the garden.
She put her hands on her waist, surveying the chaos with an indulgent smile.
This… this was her perfect moment.
No cultivation, no powers — just herself, running wild among the animals she cherished.
—
"You want to play with me? Fine," she said, closing the small wooden gate behind her.
Immediately, the chickens leaped and fluttered in panic, filling the air with the sound of flapping wings and frantic clucks.
A few ducks squealed in protest, splashing water from the pond as they scrambled to escape the flurry.
The chickens scattered in every direction, clucking and cuckling.
—
Her eyes caught one in particular — a plump, ruby-feathered chicken, with a small patch of white on its neck that shimmered like silver under the sun.
—
She giggled.
"Gotcha!" she called, darting forward, hands reaching for it.
The chicken leapt elegantly, escaping her grasp, wings beating in a blur of red and gold.
Mù Xuán pouted, jumping again, her feet barely touching the ground as she lunged.
The chicken twisted midair, landing gracefully on the other side, and the other chickens scattered in a chaotic wave, cuckling and squawking like a symphony of tiny trumpets.
—
Mù Xuán pouted, leaping once more, only to miss as it flew over her shoulder and landed behind the barn.
Mù Xuán pouted and jumped again, but it escaped once more, and the other chickens joined in, jumping and clucking frantically.
—
She pouted, leaping after it again, hands outstretched.
It flipped over a small stone and disappeared behind a patch of grass, cuckling indignantly.
Other chickens leapt around, feathers scattering in sunlight, dust rising in clouds.
The ducks quacked loudly, hopping away from the tumult, wings flapping.
Rabbits bounded to safer corners, ears twitching, noses flicking nervously.
Mù Xuán landed lightly, silver hair wild, cheeks flushed, laughter spilling from her lips.
The sunlight caught her silver strands, highlighting them with golden hues.
—
At the gate, Ling Xi stood, silent.
His amber eyes were cold, sharp, but at the corners of his lips, a faint twitch betrayed the smallest hint of amusement.
'What is she doing?' he thought.
He had been searching for her after finishing his healing, using his hearing power to trace noise…
—
Drawn by the chaos of clucks and flapping wings, and now he watched as she jumped, ran, and laughed, trying to catch the chickens.
—
Wait—
His amber eyes widened slightly.
These chickens…
He recognized them immediately.
The Golden Phoenix Bantams — so rare that even the imperial palace held only a few dozen, reserved for only the most sacred ceremonies.
Their meat was delicate and sweet, their eggs shimmering faintly in soft golden light when cooked, said to imbue vitality and longevity and even strengthen the body, sharpen the senses, and leave a subtle warmth lingering in one's core.
He'd tasted them only once—
The sweet taste lingered long after the first bite.
—and the memory of their taste lingered like a forbidden delight.
And here she was, running after them like—
—
He stepped closer, brow furrowed, amber eyes widening slightly as he took in the chaos.
The ruby-gold chicken leapt again, this time flipping mid-air, wings flaring, feathers scattering like shards of sunlight.
Mù Xuán lunged after it, falling face-first into the dust, then rolling gracefully to her feet, hair falling in silver sheets around her shoulders.
Ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous, he thought, yet a twitch of something unfamiliar stirred inside him.
Curiosity? Amusement?
Neither. Perhaps both.
He didn't even know her name, yet he felt —
—
He cleared his throat, and she glanced over her shoulder, her blue eyes sparkling, noticing him at the gate cheeks flushing pink.
She pressed her hand to her mouth, stifling another laugh.
"You… done?" she asked breathlessly.
He inclined his head. "Yes. Thank you. I… feel much better."
She looked at him, noticing his dirt-streaked robes. "I don't have any clean clothes…"
He waved a hand. "Doesn't matter. I'll manage. Can I help?"
"No need," she said softly. "You need to recover. I'll do it."
"Do I look weak?" he asked, frowning.
"No," she said.
—
He hesitated.
Then, almost grudgingly, he said, "I'll help… as thanks."
Why am I doing this? he thought.
He had never done something like this voluntarily.
Never.
She saved him — that was the only reason.
And yet… it felt different.
—
He stepped through the small gate while looking around.
The chickens scattered at his arrival, ducking, squawking, hopping — a living storm of movement.
"Which one?" he asked, calm but precise.
She pointed at the plump ruby-feathered chicken.
"Okay… these are… Golden Phoenix Bantams?"
"Yes," she said, tilting her head slightly, silver hair catching the sunlight.
He raised an eyebrow. "They're very rare. How come — ?"
"They were my mother's favorites," she said lightly. "I… had many."
"But they're hard to hatch. How are there so many?"
She shrugged. "I don't know… maybe it's the Qi."
"Maybe," he said, nodding slowly.
—
He crouched slowly, amber eyes locked on the hen.
It tilted its head, claws clicking, wings twitching, its tiny eyes were sharp, black beads glinting
—
Mù Xuán stifled a giggle behind.
They're smart… and that's why it's fun to catch them without using powers.
—
Ling Xi lunged, and the bird burst into the air, feathers scattering.
A rainbow shimmer reflected in the sunlight as it flew above him, squawking indignantly.
He almost lost his balance.
"What the—" he muttered, amber eyes narrowing as he turned around.
That damn chicken…
—
Suddenly, Mù Xuán looked at him and laughed, silver hair tossed in the sunlight, her whole body vibrating with pure amusement.
Hands clutched at her stomach, she doubled over, unable to stop herself.
"What's so funny now?"
She pointed at him through gasps of laughter.
"The… your face!" she wheezed.
"Face?"
"You look… ridiculous!" she gasped.
—
He sniffed.
That smell—
A strange, horrible smell.
—
A strange smell — faint, sharp.
He froze.
Then he realized, with horror, what had happened.
Something warm and sticky trickled down his face.
No…
He raised a hand, fingers trembling as they brushed it — cold, sticky, wet.
A dark crimson-tinged, slightly greenish streaks on his fingers.
Nooooo…
—
The chicken had pooped.
On him.
Rare, sacred, expensive Golden Phoenix Bantam chicken poop.
He almost fell back, disgust and disbelief evident on his face.
—
His fingers trembled, staring at the smear on his own hand, the shiny streak glinting grotesquely in the sunlight.
Mù Xuán's laughter was unstoppable, rolling across the garden.
He inhaled sharply, focusing, trying to maintain composure.
The chickens clucked and jumped around, oblivious to the disaster they had caused.
—