Chapter 104: She Must Have Done It on Purpose

I no longer have any interest in the trivialities of mortal romance. Every day, I lie on my side upon my bed, eyes wide open, staring past the doorway, waiting for that flash of purple lotus robes to grace my sight.

Waiting, as they say, is merely the act of keeping one’s gaze fixed obsessively upon the door.

Does Buddhist scripture not say as much? A kṣaṇa is a single thought; twenty thoughts make a kṣaṇa; twenty kṣaṇas make a snap of the fingers. Watching the twilight fade once more beyond the pavilion, I lie on my bed and heave a long sigh, lamenting the squandering of time. How many snaps of the fingers have passed since the Purple Lotus departed? Why has she not returned? It is truly enough to unsettle one’s heart.

"Little Master-Uncle, Little Master-Uncle! Someone has come to visit you."

In my half-dream, that chubby, rosy-cheeked voice echoed in my ears again.

"It is barely dawn, yet you come to disturb my slumber. How tiresome." I twisted my stiff neck and asked, "Who? Who has come to see me?"

I was filled with doubt. On Lingyun Mountain, besides this chubby lad and his effeminate, eccentric third disciple-brother, the only other person I had ever encountered was Yunxiang Moyu, whom I had met once before arriving at the mountain.

I truly had not expected that, beneath her cold and aloof exterior, she would harbor such warmth. To think she still remembers a little disciple-uncle like me!

Just as I was about to instruct the lad to go and invite our guest into the hall, a flurry of rapid footsteps echoed outside the Clear Water Pavilion. *Tap, tap, tap.* The floorboards below creaked, and I knew for certain that the visitor was not Yunxiang Moyu.

"Oh my! You hold the lowest rank, yet you put on such airs. Why have you not come out to greet me in person now that this immortal has arrived?"

The voice arrived before the person. Judging by such an arrogant and overbearing tone, I surmised she must be the daughter of some celestial deity.

The boy cast a worried glance at me before scurrying out on his short, stubby legs. A moment later, his voice drifted in.

"Little Master-Uncle did not mean to be rude. He is severely injured and bedridden, unable to move. Please, Aunt Landoer, do not be angry, do not..."

*Slap.*

A crisp sound of a palm striking flesh rang out.

"Insolent! A mere mortal dares to address me by name? Do you have a death wish?"

*Slap.*

Another sharp, stinging sound echoed.

"Do not think that just because you have been admitted to Lingyun Mountain, you can shamelessly aspire to be the equal of us immortals. A mortal is a mortal; do not harbor delusional fantasies about attaining immortality and ascending to the heavens. Do not even think about it."

"Dudu did not... Dudu dared not think it."

His voice, thick with tears, reached me. My heart ached, and I longed to rush out and return the favor to that wretched woman.

"Get out! Do not stand in my way."

The arrogant voice rang out again. I grew frantic with worry for the boy, fearing she might strike him once more. I also worried for myself—if he were to leave, I, lying here helpless and injured, would have no one to shield me from her cruelty.

"Yes, Dudu will withdraw."

And just like that, he abandoned me, his severely injured, bedridden Little Master-Uncle. I was wrong; I retract the flicker of pity I felt for him earlier. A boy who looks only to his own safety while ignoring the life and death of his elder is not worth my sympathy.

A chime of jade ornaments signaled her arrival, and a figure appeared in the doorway. She had an oval face, willow-leaf brows, and phoenix eyes that seemed to shimmer with water, yet her expression was marred by a haughty arrogance. She wore robes of green feathers embroidered with gold thread, eschewing the standard sect attire—her status was clearly far from ordinary.

As I took her in, she examined me in return. Our eyes met, and she paused for a brief second before glancing away.

"I thank the Immortal for coming to visit. Yuge is currently suffering from grave injuries and cannot rise to offer proper greetings. I beg the Immortal’s forgiveness."

To avoid suffering the same fate as the boy, I feigned an attempt to climb out of bed, purposefully making it look like a futile, painful effort.

"Little Junior, there is no need for such formalities."

With a sharp cry, Landoer rushed to my bedside and seized my battered arm, pinning it down against the bed with such force that I winced in agony.

"Immortal, I..."

My bones were surely shattering! I dared not complain, mourning silently in my heart.

"Oh! What is the matter, Little Junior? Have your wounds reopened?"

Landoer bit her rosy lips, feigning an innocent expression, her eyes filled with a pitiable, sorrowful gaze. I gritted my teeth, forcing a calm expression, and gave a stiff nod.

Suddenly, her grip loosened. Caught off guard and unable to steady myself, my body slumped, and my head slammed hard against the bed frame. *Thud.* The world turned black, and I was left dazed and reeling.

*Woe is me.* She did it on purpose. She absolutely did it on purpose. I looked at her with tear-filled eyes.