I wasn’t sure how long I had been painting, but suddenly, I faintly heard the sound of a flute.
The sound of the flute came from the window to the west, its notes like a lone eagle circling high above, beyond the reach of other birds, emitting a long cry. Cold and desolate, it seemed to pierce through the clouds, cutting through the storm and thunder, gazing down at the endless earth and vast ocean, again and again, searching in vain for something.
I couldn’t help but be drawn to the sound of the flute. I went to the window and opened the wooden frame.
The mist and clouds swirl outside the window, and beneath my window lies the vast sky. At a distance of several dozen zhang, I can see a palace perched on the cliff across from me. Its location is much higher than the room I am in. A large tree clings to the steep cliff, its thick shadows and red flowers blooming, blocking my view. Yet through the intertwined branches and leaves, I can still vaguely make out a pavilion on the cliff’s summit, where a figure in white stands. Though I cannot make out the person’s features, I can see the corners of their clothes fluttering in the moonlight, gracefully floating as if they were a divine being. My heart stirs, and I am overcome with the desire to see the flutist’s true face and capture it in a drawing. Unable to resist, I called out, “Hey!”
The flute sound stopped abruptly.
My ears were burning hot, and I felt a little embarrassed, my throat was damaged fourteen years ago, and it was as hoarse as a broken flute with air leaking out. My adoptive father went to a physician to have him checked, and he said that my throat was damaged by shouting, and it was probably related to the lost memory. In addition, I caught a severe cold and coughed for a long time, and it couldn’t be cured. It was really a desecration for such an unpleasant voice to interrupt such a pleasant flute sound.
“Who is there?”
A clear, cold voice suddenly descended from above, like the scattered fragments of a broken moon.
Such a nice voice…
I froze for a moment, too afraid to answer. I wanted to quickly close the window and hide back inside, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. My hand gripped the window sill as I looked up, saying, “I… I’m a new painter in the palace.”
There was a long silence, and the person did not respond. I couldn’t help but sneer at myself. That person lived in the palace above, their status undoubtedly noble and distinguished. How could someone like them possibly be bothered with a mere painter of such low rank as me?
I wondered, if I had been so abrupt, what would happen if I offended this noble or royal person?
Just as I hesitated, unsure whether to retreat back inside, the person suddenly spoke, “What is your name?”
I was stunned for a moment and didn’t dare to be negligent. “Tai Xue, this humble one is called Tai Xue.”
There was another silence from above. “Is this… your real name? This is the palace. If there is any deception…”
“I wouldn’t dare lie!” I quickly defended myself. “My name really is Tai Xue, absolutely true, I would never dare to lie. W-Why do you ask, My Lord? Are you… perhaps looking for someone?”
There was a long silence, and then the person asked, “How did you know?”
“It’s… your flute sound. There’s something about it, something I can’t quite describe. I… I’ve heard the calls of birds that have lost their mates or strayed from their flock in the forest before, and… and it’s very similar to your flute sound.”
After I finished speaking, there was silence again from above. I wasn’t sure if I had said something wrong, and my heart was filled with anxiety. I could hardly bear the nervousness, wishing I could take back my words. If I had spoken something wrong, I would be dead on my first day in the palace. My adoptive father would never see me again. How heartbreaking that would be?
“I… I misspoke, please forgive me, My Lord.” Thinking of this, I hurriedly knelt down, unsure whether the person above could see me or not. I bowed my head and knocked it against the window. To my surprise, a soft rustling sound reached my ears. When I looked up, I saw a long ribbon hanging in front of me, adorned with gold and silver embroidery, inlaid with fine gems that formed a pattern of the sun, moon, and stars.
It looked like a sash, but the end of the ribbon was fastened, forming a loop.
I stared at that loop, swallowing nervously.
—This… could it be that the lord above wants to sentence me to death and order me to hang myself?
“My-My Lord, spare my life!”
In my panic, I bowed repeatedly towards the loop, but the cold sensation seemed to sweep down my spine.
“Put it around your waist and tie it tighter.”
Ah?
I froze, staring at the sash swaying in front of me, a sudden, incredulous thought rising in my mind. Could it be that the person above wanted to see me and was using this to pull me up?
This…
I glanced at the vast sky outside, my scalp tingling with fear. Trembling, I said, “If My Lord wishes to summon me, you could have instructed the palace servants here to send for me. Why… why must it be like this?”
“Just do as you’re told.”
Hearing the tone above turn cold, I didn’t dare to disobey. I reached for the sash and was about to loop it around my waist when suddenly, another laugh rang out from above. “Was that the Saint Lord playing the flute just now?”
The laughter sounded quite youthful as well.
The Saint Lord? Could the flutist be the Saint Lord of the Tusheng Sect?
My hand froze, and an inexplicable sense of unease washed over me.
“Why has Your Majesty come out alone?” The cold voice responded.
I tugged the sash upwards, but when I released my grip, it seemed that there was no weight being applied. The sash made a loud “swish” as it fell straight down in front of me. I was startled, unsure of what to do, and quickly grabbed the precious sash, looking up. Through the shadows of the tree, I could faintly make out the silhouette of the other person who had spoken. He was shorter than the white-clad Saint Lord, dressed in a purple robe, with a golden crown on his head.
His Majesty?
Could it be the young tenth prince who ascended the throne four years ago?
A Saint Lord, a King… On my first night here, what kind of luck have I stumbled into!
I broke out in a cold sweat and quickly went to close the window, only to find that the person in the purple robe and golden crown was leaning forward, gazing down. I wasn’t sure if he had seen me, so I recoiled and hastily shut the window.
“I think I just heard the Saint Lord speaking. Were you speaking with the person below?”
“I was praying to the moon, offering prayers for Your Majesty and all the people.”
“Oh? The Shengzun is in seclusion and hasn’t come out. Saints Lord must be working hard.” There being no one else present, may I… call you Ninth Brother?
“Whether there are others present or not, Your Majesty must still be mindful of his status. If there is nothing else, I will return to my cultivation.”
“Cultivation… Ninth Brother, after all these years of cultivation, you must have already become a body close to that of a god, immortal and indestructible, right? After all these years, the Shengzun hasn’t aged a bit, and I’m sure you’re the same. One day, when I’m gone, Ninth Brother, you will still be as young and healthy as you are today. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder, what is the purpose of my existence as a king? Ninth Brother, tell me, in a few years, will I end up like Eighth Brother and the others, getting sick and dying?”
“Your Majesty, remember to take your medicine on time and don’t overthink things. It’s getting late; please return and rest.”
When I heard the footsteps above fade away and no one else seemed to be paying attention to me, I realized I had narrowly escaped a disaster. I let out a sigh of relief, but still holding the sash in my hands, I wasn’t sure where to put it. I looked around, feeling that keeping this thing would only bring trouble, so I reluctantly shoved it under the mattress.
That night, I was in a daze, having a dream I had never had before.
In the dream, there was a young man with blue eyes, his beauty unparalleled. We embraced and kissed beneath a tree full of fiery red blooms. The tree’s shadow hung low, and in the darkness, our lips burned, our breaths trembling. Our bodies intertwined like vines, pressing close together. In our chests, our hearts were beating wildly and violently.
When I was awakened by the bell, my heart was still beating rapidly.
My undergarments were soaked, and even my pants were wet.
On the first night in the palace, I had an erotic dream.
The dream was of a strange youth whom I had never met.
The next morning, someone knocked on the door.
I hurriedly got out of bed and went to open the door. Standing outside was the female priest who had brought me food yesterday. When she saw me, her eyes widened in shock, as if she had seen a ghost. It was then that I realized I hadn’t put on my mask. Not wanting to scare her, I quickly returned to my room, grabbed the mask, and put it on.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was in such a rush when I got up just now.”
“How did you get the scar on your face?”
The female priest’s question startled me. Her voice was hoarse and raspy, as though it had been scorched by fire. I glanced at her face, and though only her eyes and brows were visible, I could still make out what appeared to be burn marks on her skin. It was hard to tell her age, but from her posture and figure, she seemed to be around forty or fifty years old.
“I… fell.”
She didn’t ask any more questions and instructed me to wash up and change, saying that the king wished to see me.
I suspected it had something to do with last night’s events and feared that trouble was coming, possibly even the loss of my life. As I dressed, I took off the carnelian ring hanging around my neck and stuffed it under the pillow.
