Good, Good Disciple

Duanmu Yu was at his wit's end. How had he ended up with such a hopeless disciple? She wouldn't study her craft, and instead caused trouble every day, leaving the old man to clean up after her. “Xia Qingcheng, look at your sister! She's gentle and refined. Now look at yourself. You're always stealing bird eggs or climbing trees! You don't act like a girl at all!” Duanmu Yu scolded Xia Qingcheng, who was kneeling in front of him. How many times had this happened? Xia Qingcheng couldn't remember, and neither could Duanmu Yu. The little troublemaker always ran off to play as soon as he finished scolding her. She never learned. “Master, my sister is still young. She'll understand when she grows up!” Xia Qingyu stood behind Duanmu Yu, gently defending her sister. Her voice was so sweet and tender that she truly embodied the words “gentle and refined.” “Qingyu, don't defend her! I've watched you two grow up, so I know exactly what she's like. When has she ever sat still? At her age, you were already ready to go down the mountain and train. But her? She won't study her craft. If she goes down the mountain like this, she'll only disgrace me!” Duanmu Yu glanced at Xia Qingyu and then berated Xia Qingcheng, furious that she was wasting her potential. Xia Qingcheng felt so unfairly treated. Whenever her sister defended her, Master and Sister would talk for ages, and by the time they remembered her, her knees had gone numb from kneeling. “Master! We have a visitor!” Just as Xia Qingcheng was kneeling there, counting the stars and the moon, her senior brother Yun Qing announced from the doorway. “Phew, Senior Brother came at just the right time!” Xia Qingcheng cheered inwardly, gazing at her master with pleading eyes. Sure enough, her master shook his head helplessly. “You may go.” Then he called toward the doorway, “I'll be there in a moment.” Xia Qingcheng left, her heart uneasy. Could the trouble she'd caused by sneaking out this time have caught up with her? “Qingcheng, let's put aside the grudges between the previous generation and all that happened in the past, all right?” Duanmu Yu stood outside Xia Qingcheng's little wooden house, looking up at the full moon, his mind clear. “Master, go. I still can't forgive myself for what I did. I still can't let it go.” Xia Qingcheng leaned against the door, her clear black-and-white eyes glistening with tears. None of us was at fault, yet through a twist of fate, all of this happened. I hurt you so badly. How can I accept your care and love without a qualm? How can I face everyone in the sect, or live in front of all of you without shame?