Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Before long, a cliff appeared up ahead.
The cliff was more than a dozen zhang away from the mountain wall on the other side. Below was an abyss so deep the bottom couldn’t be seen. If he fell, he would definitely be smashed to pieces!
Lu Goudan was scared half to death and blurted out, “No! It’s too high!”
But Phoenix had already flown out over the abyss with him dangling from the rope, and they were about to reach the opposite cliff.
Hearing him say it was too high, Phoenix lowered his altitude a little, thinking he would fly close to the ground once they reached the other side.
“Bang!!!”
Because Phoenix had lowered his flying height, Lu Goudan, hanging at the end of the rope, failed to make it onto the far bank. With a scream, his whole body slammed hard into the mountain wall, and he passed out on the spot.
Phoenix: “…”
Uh. It seemed he had made a bit of a mistake.
He flew down to take a look. A human-shaped dent had been smashed into the vertical mountain wall, and Lu Goudan was perfectly embedded inside it.
…
When Lu Goudan woke up, he found that he had already been brought back to the thatched hut.
He was lying naked on the bed, his body covered in a cool medicinal salve.
On the wooden table beside him were some unused herbs, giving off a faint, bitter fragrance.
Just then, a Red-clad Beauty pushed open the door and walked in.
Seeing that he was awake, the Red-clad Beauty broke into a smile. “You’re finally awake.”
Lu Goudan was stunned.
The person before him wore red like blazing fire, with loose black hair draped over his shoulders. His fair, exquisite face looked as though it had been carved from jade. He was countless times more beautiful than the fairies of legend.
Lu Goudan had never seen such a gorgeous beauty before. His eyes nearly popped out of his head. “You are…”
The Red-clad Beauty said, “I’m Phoenix.”
Lu Goudan said, “Y-you’re female?”
Phoenix said, “Male.”
Only then did Lu Goudan remember. Right. Phoenix was indeed a male bird.
He could actually transform into a human. Lu Goudan suddenly felt a little regretful.
If Phoenix had been female, wouldn’t Lu Goudan have been able to trick him into marrying him?
At that thought, Lu Goudan abruptly realized he wasn’t wearing anything at all.
He hurriedly yanked the blanket over himself and demanded, “What’s going on here?”
Phoenix smiled and said quite naturally, “You were covered in injuries. To apply the medicine, I had no choice but to take off all your clothes.”
Lu Goudan clicked his tongue. “You were the one who applied the medicine?”
Phoenix nodded.
Lu Goudan’s cheeks burned. They were both men, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
But perhaps because the other party was simply too beautiful, he felt an inexplicable shame, as though he couldn’t compare at all.
He stammered, “Th-then didn’t you see and touch every part of me?”
“Yes.” Phoenix’s expression was warm and innocent as he smiled. “You’re built the same as me.”
Lu Goudan: “…”
Like a cooked crab, steam practically rose from the top of his head.
After a long while, he muttered gloomily, “I’d rather you weren’t built the same as me…”
Phoenix looked at him in confusion. “What did you say?”
“Nothing.” Lu Goudan’s gaze fell on the herbs beside him. “Where did those herbs come from?”
Phoenix said, “I bought them in the town at the foot of the mountain.”
Lu Goudan frowned. “Didn’t you have no money? What did you use to buy the medicine?”
Phoenix said, “I saw someone selling feathers, so I plucked out one of my own feathers and traded it to him for thirty copper coins.”
He smiled. “Now I know what money is. So in the mortal world, people use money to exchange for things.”
When Lu Goudan heard that Phoenix had plucked out a feather, his heart inexplicably tightened.
His gaze landed on Phoenix’s long hair, black as satin. It didn’t look as though anything had been plucked from it.
Lu Goudan couldn’t help asking, “Where did you pluck the feather from? Don’t tell me it was from your rear?”
Phoenix thought back for a moment. He had plucked a tail feather, which did indeed count as being from his rear.
So he nodded.
Lu Goudan’s gaze instantly grew even more complicated.
He choked on his words for a long moment before asking dryly, “Does it hurt?”
Phoenix said, “A little, but it’s all right.”
Lu Goudan asked again, “Then… then now that you’ve turned human, does that mean your magical power has recovered too?”
Phoenix shook his head. “I forced this transformation, so my magical power will have to take a few more days to recover.”
Only in human form could he go buy medicine for Ah Lu.
Hearing that, Lu Goudan’s eyes shifted, and another idea began to form in his mind.
Now that this stupid divine bird had turned human, he could no longer be sold as a demon beast.
But with looks like his, Lu Goudan could sell him to a brothel instead and still make a fortune…
He knew of one brothel that specifically wanted beautiful boy toys for men with particular tastes.
It was a vile thing to do, but Lu Goudan had never been a kind person.
A childhood of hardship had made his nature as cold and selfish as a wolf’s. Before his goals, mercy and pity were useless things.
He had found Phoenix in the first place, and Phoenix had also left him covered in injuries. There was no way he was letting this chance to get rich slip by!
Lu Goudan said, “Then let’s go into town again tomorrow. I know a really fun place. I’ll take you to see it.”
Phoenix smiled and said happily, “Okay. Ah Lu will take me there.”
Lu Goudan sneered inwardly.
What a complete fool. He didn’t even know he was about to be sold.
Night fell.
The two of them squeezed together on one small bed.
Perhaps because he was pressed against the young man’s warm body, Phoenix soon fell asleep.
Lu Goudan, however, could not sleep.
In all his life, this was the first time he had ever shared a bed with someone.
Phoenix smelled wonderful, like some strange floral fragrance, faint and intoxicating.
Lu Goudan looked at that devastatingly beautiful sleeping face, and suddenly thought again of how Phoenix had plucked his feathers to exchange for money.
How could a beauty as heavenly as this do something as obscene and bizarre as plucking his own feathers?
He wondered whether it really hurt…
The thought seized Lu Goudan like an obsession, making him toss and turn even more.
Did it hurt? Did it hurt?
After a long while, Lu Goudan finally could not contain his curiosity. Like an idiot, he reached into his pants, gritted his teeth, and tried pulling out one hair…
“!!!”
A clear, sharp pain shot through him.
Lu Goudan let out a muffled groan, threw the hair away, and felt awful inside.
It hurt so much.
Unfortunately, this one couldn’t be exchanged for money…
…
The next day, Lu Goudan brought Phoenix down the mountain again.
This time, they chose another path and made it smoothly to the bustling town.
Lu Goudan knew where that brothel was. He led Phoenix straight inside.
The appearance of the Red-clad Beauty instantly drew everyone’s eyes.
Men and women alike stared at him, their eyes wide as brass bells.
His was a beauty that blurred the line between male and female. When silent, he seemed noble, aloof, and coolly dazzling; but the moment he smiled, he became gentle as water, spotless and radiant, as if he could glow.
Lu Goudan said to Phoenix, “Wait here for me. I need to take care of something. I’ll be right back.”
Phoenix nodded.
Lu Goudan hurried up the stairs and ran straight into the madam.
Lu Goudan said, “I’m here to sell someone.”
Seeing his ragged clothes and injured face, the madam guessed he was some street thug and looked down on him a little. “Where is this person? We don’t take just any goods here.”
Lu Goudan pointed toward the main hall. “Over there.”
The madam looked over and nearly stopped breathing.
“Where… where did such a beauty come from?”
Lu Goudan sneered. “That’s none of your business. Just tell me how much he’s worth.”
The madam steadied herself and asked with practiced ease, “Is he untouched?”