Accompanying the Phoenix

Chapter 7: Using the Prince's Soldiers

What should she do? Toss him into the yard? Prop him on the rocking chair? She felt there should be some payback for the jokes he'd played on her, but he looked so close to death she wasn't sure he'd survive. She came to a decision and walked to the kitchen to prepare the medicine she usually saw him take. After it was finished she brought it over and forced his jaw open. She was about to pour the piping hot liquid down his throat when a cry rang out.

"Stop!" Sensing the impending danger Xing Yun opened his eyes, and though still pale managed to cough a few times. He gently pushed the glass of medicine away. "I can do that myself."

"Oh? Were you faking it?"

"No, no. I just had a momentary dizzy spell. I woke up just now, but was hoping to enjoy the ministrations of a fair maiden. Though it seems I was hoping for too much."

"Tch! You used me for entertainment, dared eat all the bacon, and you still have the temerity to expect me to nurse you?!" Shen Li was extremely irritated. She was about to flip her clothes up and sit on the ground when she remembered she was not in her beast form, resulting in her posing in an awkward half up half down position.

The sight made Xing Yun laugh. "Haha! See? It's more comfortable being a chicken right?"

Up close Xing Yun's facial features were really quite remarkable. If she wasn't so angry it may have moved her heart. "Can you give me a reason to not kill you right now?"

Xing Yun paid her words absolutely no mind at all, and instead changed the topic. "Don't make a fuss. Just give me the medicine. There's still some bacon left, I'll make some good broth with it for you."

Turned out there wasn't a reason to kill him after all. Her heart no longer clenched painfully at the thought of bacon. At this she realized her thoughts and behavior were slowly moving farther and farther away from that of a king. Shen Li wondered if he had put some sort of strange array in the house, affecting her mood.

She also wondered when she should leave. Xing Yun's array was very effective in gathering qi and although she had recovered enough qi to change into human form, the amount she gathered was nowhere the amount she normally held. The longer she remained in place, the higher the likelihood she would be found by the demon emperor. And if that happened then...

"Hey, the bacon piece is too high for me to reach. Come here and help me get it."

Shen Li looked at Xing Yun and sighed at his frail frame. Only one punch and he nearly died. How would he fare if the demon realm were to pursue him? She sighed, shook her head and went inside.

She entered the kitchen and saw the bacon hanging by a string under one of the beams. Xing Yun handed her a pole, but she rejected it. Instead she picked up an empty plate and threw it like a frisbee at the string, severing it easily. The plate curved after the strike and turned around to catch the bacon before flying back to land in Shen Li's right hand.

Shen Li was quite proud of herself and so glanced at Xing Yun to see his reaction. She expected to see admiration and maybe even awe from such a fine display. Instead of amazement, Xing Yun passed her a bunch of dirty rags and said, "Since you have such a handy skill, use it to help me dust the beams. Make sure to give them a good cleaning." The reality was not at all satisfying!

It made Shen Li distort her face in an ugly way. The rags in her left hand were so dirty that she couldn't discern their original colors. In an even tone she asked, "Do you know who you're talking to?"

"I never asked who you were... so how would I know?" The ugliness in Shen Li's face only increased upon hearing his reply. Xing Yun shook his head. "Okay okay, if you don't want to dust then you don't have to. Instead, if you can, can you help me by bringing in two buckets of water?"