"Are you talking?" the little demoness asked in surprise.
"Hello, beautiful fairy," Xiang Jiao replied. "It is indeed I who am talking."
Ye Fan glanced at the obviously abnormal banana, then at the mountain chicken squinting in the sun on the ground beside him…
Damn it!
Why do all sorts of strange things happen to me?
It's one thing for a chicken demon to speak human language.
What's a banana doing joining the fun?
…
"If you think it's interesting, take it and play with it," Ye Fan waved his hand.
As things stood, he definitely couldn't eat this banana anymore.
Eating a talking banana was even more bizarre than eating a talking chicken demon…
The little demoness obediently took the half-peeled banana and sat on a nearby chair, striking up a conversation.
"Big Banana, why can you also speak?" the little demoness asked curiously.
"Beautiful fairy, I'm not sure about that either," a section of the opened banana peel touched the tip of the banana core like an arm. "It's just that one day, I suddenly could."
"Interesting," the little demoness said with great interest. "Tell me about yourself?"
"Originally, I was a banana from a grape tree in the forest, hanging on the branches with my brothers and sisters," the banana replied. "I was picked a while ago and came to the city."
"Didn't the people before you find it strange when you spoke?" the little demoness continued to ask.
"I usually don't talk to people. I prefer to think quietly," the banana replied.
"Then why did you speak just now?" the little demoness asked, puzzled.
"Because you were about to eat me," the banana peel made a shrugging gesture. "I don't want to die yet."
"That's true…" the little demoness nodded in realization.
"Beautiful fairy, you used the word 'also' when discussing my speaking earlier," the banana asked. "Have you encountered a banana like me before? If it's still alive, could you introduce us? I'm also very curious about why I can speak."
"It's not a banana," the little demoness pointed at the stunned mountain chicken next to her. "It's him."
"Hello," the banana greeted the mountain chicken.
"H-hello," the mountain chicken was dumbfounded.
It also found the idea of a talking banana rather bizarre.
"It seems you have a lot to talk about," the little demoness walked over and placed the banana in front of the mountain chicken. "Chat well, and become friends."
Afterward, the little demoness returned to Ye Fan's side and continued feeding him fruit.
"Holy crap!" the mountain chicken exclaimed. "Brother, what's your situation?"
"It's the situation you just heard," the banana separated two peel pieces to make a cushion for itself, and arranged the other two peel pieces in a thinking posture. "Brother Chicken, how can you speak human language?"
"I don't know either?" the mountain chicken replied. "One day, when I was playing with the hens, I suddenly could."
"How magical," the banana 'nodded.' "It's fate that we met under these circumstances. Why don't we be friends?"
"Sure!" the mountain chicken said excitedly. "Brother, where are you from?"
"From the Monster Forest south of the city."
"Holy crap, me too! No need to say anything more, it's all fate!"
…
The two of them began to chat, word by word, and they became increasingly congenial.
Especially the mountain chicken, which was so excited it could barely contain itself.
Although it appeared somewhat lustful and improper, its inner heart was actually lonely and solitary.
Being able to speak human language without shapeshifting gave it a sense of inexplicable superiority.
It always felt a step above other monsters.
But after that, it had little in common with ordinary monsters.
Those fellows only knew how to eat, sleep, and cultivate. How boring!
However, integrating into the human world wasn't easy either.
Like that one before…
What was her name again?
Never mind, it wasn't important.
It sincerely wanted to be friends with her, to let her feel its sincerity and warmth.
But what about her?
She treated it as a mere plaything, discarding it after she was done!
The world is changing!
Human hearts are cold!
Brother Chicken was disheartened!
…
Now, encountering someone who wasn't of its kind, the mountain chicken felt like it had found a soulmate in the vast sea of humanity.
"If you want to chat, go somewhere else. Don't disturb my sunbathing."
Just as they were chatting joyfully, Ye Fan grumbled discontentedly.
Listening to a chicken and a banana babbling nonsense always made him feel uneasy…
The mountain chicken hurriedly picked up the big banana with its wings and sauntered into an empty room.
After sitting on the bed, they continued their conversation.
"Brother, did you become a spirit not long ago?" the mountain chicken asked curiously. "Why is your cultivation only at the first level of Qi Refining?"
"Not really," the banana core made a shaking motion. "Actually, it's been hundreds of years since I became a spirit."
"So long?" the mountain chicken was greatly surprised. "Then your cultivation…?"
"I'm just not very interested in cultivation," the banana replied. "Compared to cultivation, I prefer to think quietly."
"For example, what kind of existence are monsters?"
"Why can't humans and monsters coexist peacefully?"
"Wouldn't it be better for everyone to sit down and talk if they have opinions, instead of fighting to the death?"
"The purpose of cultivation is to become an immortal, but what lies beyond immortality?"
"What is the essence of the world?"
"Is our world the only one?"
…
The barrage of questions from the banana stunned the mountain chicken!
How would I know these things?
Let alone knowing, I've never even thought about them!
My dream is simple: I want girls…
"Brother, I'm a crude chicken, not very cultured," the mountain chicken sighed. "The one I admire most in this life is cultured monsters like you!"
"Actually, thinking is a very interesting thing," the banana replied. "You can try it. I believe you'll fall in love with this feeling."
"I'll pass… Oh right, brother," the mountain chicken decisively changed the subject. "We were so busy chatting that I forgot to ask your name."
"My name is Mountain Chicken," the mountain chicken introduced itself first and extended a chicken wing to the banana.
The banana raised a peel and shook hands with the mountain chicken. "As for my name, I don't have one yet."
"Why is that?" the mountain chicken asked, withdrawing its wing.
"A name is a sacred thing," the banana explained. "Once it's given, it cannot be changed casually."
"I always thought it was more appropriate to let a destined demon choose such a thing," the banana paused. "Now it seems Brother Chicken is my destined demon. How about you give me one?"
"I'm just a crude fellow," the mountain chicken said with difficulty. "Look, I'm a mountain chicken demon, so I named myself Mountain Chicken."
"The Great Dao is simple," the banana core made a nodding motion. "It's indeed simple and unadorned…"
"Banana, Banana Spirit, Essence of Banana…" the banana asked. "Brother Chicken, which do you think is suitable?"
The air instantly became quiet.
Although the logic was sound, both the chicken and the banana felt something was a little odd.
After a few minutes.
"From my observation, humans usually refer to cultured individuals like you with the title 'Junzi'," the mountain chicken suggested. "How about you try adding 'Junzi' to your name?"
"Banana Junzi?" the banana was stunned for a moment. "It feels even stranger? How about… just call me Banana Jun?"
"Hey, this one's good!" the mountain chicken's eyes lit up. "I think it works!"