**Chapter 9
Mistaken Glance and Lotus Pursuit**
Night had draped the Azure Mist Sect in indigo shadows by the time Alex Reed crept toward the Lotus Pavilion. Lanterns glowed like fireflies, and a soft breeze carried the scent of night-blooming moonpetals. Heart hammering, Alex held his breath outside the slatted wooden door, determined to impress Lotus Cloud Mistress with his willingness to assist in her new formation.
He'd barely whispered the password when the door slid open. Inside, the pavilion was awash in pale moonlight, reflecting off a shallow stone pool filled with steaming water. At its center, Lotus Cloud Mistress had discarded her silken robe and sunk into the warm depths, eyes closed in blissful repose.
Alex swallowed. This was hardly the "test subject" scenario he'd imagined—but Lotus had said "come by," and so he had. He slipped inside, careful to keep to the shadows.
Lotus's soft hum—half-song, half-moan—filled the air. Alex crept along the edge of the pool, scanning for her famed formation glyphs. A faint glow danced at the foot of the far wall—petal-shaped runes etched in jade ink. He took out his brush and scroll, ready to copy them… and then froze.
A soft splash! His foot had knocked a small wooden stool into the water. Lotus's eyes snapped open.
"Who's there?!" she demanded, voice sharp as broken porcelain.
Alex spun—just in time to catch a glimpse of her slender shoulder as she leapt from the pool with surprising speed. In that instant, he realized his fatal mistake: he'd peered just a moment too long.
"I—uh—" he stammered, but she was already storming toward him, dripping water and clad in nothing but moonlight and indignation.
Her delicate slippers slapped the stone floor as she gave chase, robes clutched to her chest. "You insolent whelp!" she hissed. "How dare you spy on Lotus Cloud Mistress!"
Alex skidded backward, brandishing his brush like a makeshift sword. "I was—taking notes! For the formation! I swear!"
She narrowed her eyes, water droplets flying from her hair like tiny comets. "Notes? You expect me to believe you came all this way just to transcribe my bath-time routine?!"
"I—yes? No?" Alex gulped. "Listen, I can be useful! I'm Foundation Establishment Stage 1, but I learn fast!"
Lotus's robe slipped from her grasp and fluttered to the floor. She paused mid-stride, cheeks flushed—whether from cold water or fury, Alex couldn't tell. He seized his chance.
"I'll help you refine the lotus-seal array! I promise I won't peek—just… teach me the patterns and I'll redraw them perfectly!"
She glared, arms folded over her chest. The night air pressed in. Finally, with a dramatic huff, Lotus Cloud Mistress snatched her robe back and draped it around her shoulders.
"Fine," she said, voice cold. "But you'll stay exactly where I can see you. One wrong move, and I'll add 'voyeur' to your cultivation record."
Alex bowed so low his forehead almost kissed the stone. "Understood, Mistress Lotus."
As she led him back toward the jade glyphs, scroll in hand, Alex realized two things: first, that peeking at a spirit ascension beauty in mid-bath was absolutely unforgivable; and second, that being at her mercy—so fully visible—might just be the best cultivation challenge he'd ever faced.