Asher neither confirmed nor denied her words; instead, he leaned forward, stared into Elder Katrina's eyes, and asked. "Can I ask you something personal?"
"Of course. Ask away. But whether or not I answer depends on the question itself." Elder Katrina nodded as she gazed back at him with an amused expression on her face.
"I was wondering why you, such a beautiful and seductive woman like yourself, are still single? I can't imagine that there aren't any decent men who would want to have you as their lover. So why didn't you accept any of their advances?"
"Hehe... Why am I single? That's an interesting question indeed. But why do you want to know that?"
"Just curiosity."
"Or maybe you are interested in me?"
"Haha... maybe, or maybe not. Still, I wouldn't have asked the same thing to some ice-cold woman who distances herself from the world. But you're someone who leads the Dual Cultivation Hall, where people make love all the time, and with the way you act so open-mindedly, there must have been many times you've considered those feelings. So, why? Is there a reason for that?
Or perhaps..."
Asher's eyes flickered with a bright light as he stared deep into her eyes and spoke with a low voice. "Could it be that you are already in a secret relationship with someone?"
And I am starting to lose hope that I ever will."
Elder Katrina took another deep breath as she spoke these words. Her voice contained an unmistakable sadness in it, which caused Asher's heart to ache with pity for her. He knew exactly how painful it was to fail time after time again. It was indeed frustrating beyond words. But there was something that he couldn't understand about her story. So he asked.
"What does this have to do with your relationship status?"
Upon hearing his question, Elder Katrina's expression changed back to her usual playful self. She looked at him with a teasing smile on her lips before answering. "Oh, I almost forgot about that part. Haha! Well, if you must know, I guess I just don't feel like wasting my time with a man who can't even break through to the Emperor Realm.
Not to mention, all those men who have tried to court me before were simply looking for fun, not serious relationships. They didn't care about my dreams and aspirations. None of them ever bothered asking what I wanted to do in life. All they cared about was getting me into their beds. That's why I never dated anyone before."
Asher remained silent after hearing Elder Katrina's words. Her story touched his heart, making him understand why she chose to remain single until now. She didn't want to get involved with someone who would only drag her down and prevent her from achieving her dreams.
She was a woman with a strong sense of purpose, and Asher respected that about her. He admired her determination to reach higher realms of existence despite the obstacles standing in her way. It showed how dedicated she was towards her goal.
On the other hand, Asher couldn't help but feel anger towards those guys who tried to get close to her without knowing anything about her background. To think that they thought so little of her as to try and seduce her for fun!
And as he thought about Elder Katrina's situation, Asher suddenly had an idea.
"What if someone could help you achieve your dream? Will you give yourself to that person?"