Reminisce the Forgotten Days ~ Return of the Mount Hua Sect

chapter 16

As the late afternoon sun shone down on the vast terrain of the martial arts sect, the disciples finished their training for the day. Moyong Yue sat on a stone slab, gazing at the crowds of students moving around. She noticed a group of three disciples discussing something, shaking her head as she observed the young ones.

"Those boys are nowhere near mastering their physical technique," she muttered to herself, the sound of her voice echoing softly. "They'll be lucky to achieve a tenth of their goals if they can't even hold themselves up."

The white-haired teenager fiddled with a book in her hands, eyes flitting across the pages. Although she held the heir position of Moyong, she rarely took the time to help the disciples directly. Instead, she preferred to observe their progress from a distance and judge their abilities harshly.

Moyong Yue couldn't help but shake her head, the teen rolling her eyes as she went back to reading her book. She scoffed quietly to herself, knowing the disciple probably couldn't hear her from this distance, but still couldn't help but criticize them openly.

"Those weaklings will be lucky to even reach the first level of the martial arts path," she mutters, her voice barely audible to anyone but herself.

As she sat there, a small breeze blew by her, causing the pages of her book to flutter ever so slightly. The sound seemed to catch the attention of the disciples, who stopped their conversation to glance over at her.

It was the senior disciple Li, a burly man in his late 30s with a full beard. He raised his eyebrows, a slight frown crossing his face as he gave her a look. "Why are you here, Moyong Yue?" he asked, his voice low but firm.

As the senior disciple Li approached Moyong Yue, she quickly lifted a smile onto her face. "H-hello, Sahyung Li..." she stuttered, trying to keep her voice casual.

But the man didn't answer, instead giving her a cold stare that made the girl's heart skip a beat. She gulped, nervously chuckling as she tried to make a joke. "The sky is up! You know, because it's the sky! A-ah..." she trailed off, realizing how awkward she sounded.

For a moment, there was silence between them, the tension rising in the air. Finally, the senior disciple spoke, his voice low and firm. "What are you doing here, Moyong Yue?" he asked.

The girl hesitated, the weight of his gaze bearing down on her. "I-I was just... observing... the trainees..." she managed to whisper, shifting nervously.

Senior disciple Li didn't seem convinced by Moyong Yue's answer and his gaze remained firm, making it clear that he didn't trust her intentions. The teen could feel her heart racing as she struggled to come up with a convincing explanation.

"I-I was worried about them," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "They're not making any progress and their form is all wrong."

"Why does that concern you?" the senior disciple replied, his voice still cold.

"I-I just want them to achieve greatness," Moyong Yue stammered, trying to sound sincere. "I'm sure they'll be more motivated if they know that their Moyong Yue cares about them."

Senior disciple Li arched an eyebrow, still not fully convinced. "Moyong Yue, you've never shown any interest in the disciples before. Why is it suddenly important to you now?"

The girl flinched at the question, feeling the heat of embarrassment rising in her face. It was true, she had never been particularly involved in the lives of the other disciples.

"I know!" Moyong Yue said, her voice tinged with frustration. "But I've changed! I've realized that I should play a more active role in guiding the younger generation. I want to help them achieve their full potential and become the most powerful cultivators in the world."