Chapter 86: What Is Dual Cultivation Between Men?

“Immortal Lord Violet Lotus, you seem to have far too much leisure these days! What brings you here to my humble abode today?”
With a swirl of white robes, in an instant, the woman dressed in green found herself held tightly in the arms of the man clad in white. At that moment, her green garment slid from the stone table, and she was draped in his outer robe.
The man in white gently adjusted the woman in his embrace, meticulously tidying her somewhat disheveled attire. His movements were slow and attentive, full of care.
“H-husband, let me do it myself,” the woman in green said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, reaching out to push him away. Yet as soon as her hand stretched forth, he grasped her wrist firmly, refusing to let go.
“Let me,” he replied.
The two seemed utterly absorbed in each other, busying themselves with straightening each other’s clothes, paying no mind to us.
“Master, I think we’re interrupting them,” I whispered to Violet Lotus.
“Mm!” After a moment, he nodded slowly and said, “It seems we’ve intruded upon their dual cultivation.”
“So what should we do now?” I edged closer to him, lowering my voice even more.
“Escape,” he murmured, lips barely moving.
“Alright.”
Determined not to hold Violet Lotus back, I turned to run, but after a few steps in place, I realized I hadn’t moved at all. Looking back, I saw him standing right behind me, one hand gripping my collar, his expression weary and exasperated.
“What are you running for? You’ve seen it, so why bother escaping?”
“But, Master, they’re busy with… important matters. We… we should just leave!” I said, troubled, not knowing how to phrase it to him.
Dual cultivation… Ahem, it truly made me feel awkward and tongue-tied.
“Isn’t this just dual cultivation?” Violet Lotus remarked with ease.
I couldn’t tell if he genuinely understood or not, what dual cultivation actually implied. His completely unbothered demeanor made me, a little fish who knew only a smattering about such things, feel mortified and bashful. Oh, my immortal master—could it be he has no idea what dual cultivation really is?
“Master,” I murmured, bowing my head, “do you… do you actually know what dual cultivation is?” As I asked, my cheeks began to burn uncontrollably.
“Dual cultivation is the highest realm of practice between man and woman,” Violet Lotus answered solemnly. “Someday, I too shall ascend to the heavens, marry a beautiful immortal, and cultivate together with her.”
Hearing this, my spirits plummeted. The thought of another woman sharing what the man in white and the woman in green had just done twisted my heart in pain.
Marriage? One day, Violet Lotus will take a wife—surely a peerlessly beautiful celestial maiden. They’ll be together, happily so.
And me? Where will I be then? Will I remain his disciple, staying by his side, or will I leave in frustration, unable to bear another woman at his side?
Ah! These thoughts, if left alone, wouldn’t trouble me, but once they surface, my head aches terribly. I shook it hard, trying to clear my mind. I mustn’t dwell on things yet to happen, especially unhappy ones. If I do, and they come to pass, what then?
“But,” Violet Lotus’s voice sounded again, “sometimes I find it curious—why do some immortals, though men themselves, seek other men for dual cultivation? Could it be that this art is not limited to man and woman, and men with men are also possible? I recall, three thousand years ago, I visited Mount Yao and saw two male white cranes belonging to Lord Ancient Ink engaging in dual cultivation amidst the grasses. The scene was quite… peculiar. Even now, I cannot fathom how male-male dual cultivation works.”