"I know why you have come."
In front of him, Emperor Wu Su dispensed with the royal "We," speaking to him plainly.
Master Liao Ran sat in quiet meditation. "The red lotus flared," he said. "This old monk sensed it, and so I rushed here to remind Your Majesty to sever your attachment in a timely manner. Do not become lost in it."
For the red lotus to flare, two conditions must be met. The first is finding the woman who arrived in accordance with the Heavenly Way.
The second is... the Emperor's heart being moved.
Master Liao Ran had sought an audience that day to offer a word of caution.
Emperor Wu Su picked up a white Go stone, holding it between two fingers. "Only by not being controlled by the world can one control it," he said dismissively. "Only by entering the game myself can I command all corners of the realm."
The last of his words coincided with the CLACK of the stone hitting the board.
