Chapter Twenty-Nine: There Is a Junior Disciple Named Dudu

I stood there in the room, utterly bewildered, unable to fathom why Zilian had suddenly lost his temper so fiercely. But since he had told me to clean the Azure Luan Hall, I had no choice but to obey—after all, I was so eager to be his good disciple. On this very first day as his apprentice, I had to ensure that my master was pleased with everything I did.

The Azure Luan Hall, though it appeared vast, was in truth mostly composed of ponds; aside from the edges of a few square pools where flowers and grass might grow, there really were no other places to set foot. Thus, the areas I needed to clean were only these few. It seemed a small enough task, and for a little carp spirit who had cultivated for two thousand years, a modest cleaning spell would suffice.

In no time at all, I was finished.

The entire Azure Luan Hall gleamed as if it had just been renovated. I doubted Zilian ever expected me to clean the palace so thoroughly; when he returned and saw the transformation, he would surely be unable to restrain himself from praising me.

Delighted with myself, I dared not dirty the hall anew, so I stood quietly on the stone bridge, hugging my broom, eyes fixed expectantly on the palace doors, waiting for Zilian's return and his words of commendation.

At that moment, I was the only soul in the vast palace. Although it was daytime, a strange hush pervaded the place, so unnerving it made me restless. Bored beyond endurance, I finally tossed aside my broom and trotted to the pond behind the Azure Luan Hall, crouching at its edge and peering into the water, hoping to find a companion to chat with. Yet, after lingering there for ages, not a single fish shadow appeared.

"Little Uncle, Little Uncle!"

A soft, sweet, and childish voice suddenly rang out.

I glanced over. A little boy in a pale blue robe was walking toward me.

"You're late, little one—your Little Uncle left long ago. I’m the only one left in the Azure Luan Hall now. You’d best head back," I said gloomily, looking up at him.

But he acted as if he hadn’t heard, his face still smiling as he approached and stopped behind me.

"Uncle," he said, bowing to me with utmost respect.

The little boy's round face was full of earnestness as he stood quietly at my side, head lowered, his long lashes trembling gently in the breeze, both hands cradling a purple robe embroidered with lotuses. "Uncle... Uncle?" he ventured.

I stared at him in surprise. Had he mistaken me for someone else? But we were standing so close—there was no way he could have gotten the wrong person, unless he was blind.

I hurried over and waved my hand in front of his eyes. He blinked—so he wasn’t blind after all.

"Uncle Yuge," the boy said again, respectfully bowing.

Uncle Yuge? It seemed he truly was addressing me. Who would have thought—I had only just become someone’s disciple, and on the very same day, I was already someone’s uncle. This was... this was truly startling.

"Ahem," I coughed lightly, putting on an air of authority. "What’s your name?"

The little boy blushed but answered respectfully, "Dudu."

"Dudu? That’s quite an interesting name," I said with a laugh.

It sounded almost like a name you’d give to a pig, I couldn’t help but add in my mind.

Seeing him bite his lip nervously, I decided to tease him a bit, reaching out to pinch his chubby cheek until it turned purple-red, then relenting when I saw the aggrieved look on his face.

Glancing at the robe in his hands, I asked, "Is that meant for me?"

"No," Dudu replied with utter honesty, shaking his head. "It’s for the sect leader."