Chapter Twenty-Five: The Master Loves Men

Stepping out of the Jade Cloud Pavilion, I found myself in yet another long corridor. After crossing it and turning left, there was another corridor, and once I passed through that, the sight before me was my own Clearwater Tower.

Clearwater Tower truly lives up to its name—water surrounds it on all sides, the entire building constructed atop the surface of the lake. From afar, it resembled a bamboo house floating gently above the water.

Another bamboo house. It struck me as curious that all the pavilions within the Azure Luan Palace were made of bamboo. My curiosity piqued, I stepped back a few paces along the corridor and leaned down to examine the structure beneath the building. Near the water’s edge, it became apparent that the entire tower was upheld by just four simple round wooden pillars.

Without those four beams, this bamboo house would hang suspended in midair—a terrifying prospect.

Purple lotuses bloomed in profusion both before and behind the tower. Leaning against the railing, I let the soft breeze carry the delicate fragrance of the lotuses across the pond. The sight of the blossoms stirred a restless longing in me, and I was tempted to reach out, pick them, and ravage them in my hands.

I surveyed the grounds thoroughly, but apart from those purple lotuses, there was nothing else—not even a single blade of grass.

Though I adored lotuses, the monotony of purple flowers and green leaves seemed almost too plain to the eye. I recalled the flourishing blossoms of every color beside the wooden fence halfway up Mount Lingyun, and resolved that tomorrow at dawn, I would go there to gather some flowers and adorn Clearwater Tower. If possible, I hoped to decorate the residence of Purple Lotus as well.

I pushed open the door, and a faint, lingering fragrance greeted me. As I had expected, each of the four corners of the room held a large urn overflowing with vibrant purple lotuses.

Approaching them, I noticed the water was so clear, yet devoid of fish. A pang of regret touched my heart. Stroking the lotus leaves, I murmured, “Without the company of fish, lotuses must surely feel lonely.”

“Lonely?”

Purple Lotus’s voice suddenly echoed.

I turned to look. Unbeknownst to me, he was already standing at the doorway, his gaze resting upon me, his expression distant, almost distracted.

“Purple... Master.”

I still preferred to call him by his name, and was unaccustomed to calling him ‘Master.’

Yet, since I had already accepted him as my teacher, from now on, the only times I could use his name would be in my heart or dreams, or perhaps alone, speaking to the unresponsive air.

He seemed not to have heard me call him, his gaze fixed upon me, yet as if looking through me at someone else. The look in his eyes was unfathomable.

I sighed inwardly. For more than three thousand years, Purple Lotus had always been solitary. Though surrounded by beauties of all realms, he remained unmoved, indifferent. Perhaps, it was not asceticism that kept him distant, but rather that the one he loved was, in fact, a man.

Could it truly be so? My heart cried bitterly, yet the look in his eyes at that moment was unmistakable—the tender, lingering affection in his gaze was precisely how a man would look upon his beloved.

I liked being looked at by him this way, but I did not like that when I had taken the form of a man, he gazed at me with such loving eyes—it unsettled me deeply.

How could my Purple Lotus be inclined that way? Impossible.

If, one day, he truly fell in love with me as a man, what would I do? Surely, I could not always remain in disguise, living as a man beside him.

Thinking of this brought sorrow.

No, this will not do. Once I am by his side, I must help him fall in love with a woman again.

“Master, are you all right?”

Unable to bear the look in his eyes any longer, I finally spoke again.

“Hm?”

The confusion faded from his gaze, as if waking from a dream. He paused for a moment, then his face returned to its usual cool composure. “Little Fish.”

“Yes, Master.”

It was the first time he had ever called me by name, and I replied with excitement.

Though his voice was not especially gentle, the way he spoke my name felt intimate. I liked the feeling.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes, Little Fish is very hungry.”

Without thinking, I acted spoiled, covering my stomach with both hands and looking up at him pitifully.

“There are only the two of us in the Azure Luan Palace, master and disciple, so within these halls you need not observe the formalities. I suppose I have little time to teach you such things anyway.”

“Oh.”

A strange feeling stirred in my heart—perhaps a little disappointment.

“Come to the Jade Cloud Pavilion for a meal.”

With that, he turned and left.