Hidden By Moonlight

"I'll Teach You."

Each morning, Lin Yuan trained with Qingxue and Xiao Hu.

Jump rope? He tangled.

Painting? His brush wobbled.

Running? He stumbled last.

Spirit needle embroidery? He bled more than thread.

Always third—behind the wild tiger and graceful bird.

But he never complained.

He helped clean up. He healed small wounds. He listened.

And every day, he tried again.

> "I don't need to win," he told himself. "I just don't want to be left behind."

---

Above them, in silence, stood Sect Leader Yuexian.

She had cultivated for a century.

Buried her emotions in war, sect affairs, and stillness.

But now—watching these three—something cracked.

> If I'd chosen a different path… would I have had children like these?

She descended one morning, and simply said:

> "You want to keep up?"

"Then I'll teach you."

---

The Taiyin Sect's Garden Festival soon arrived—a day of joy, spirit, and ruthless competition between female disciples. The courtyard filled with laughter, talismans, flower robes, and sky lanterns.

And among them stood Lin Yuan, veiled in lavender, dressed in soft robes.

A boy disguised as a girl.

The Sect Leader's personal disciple.

> "You look perfect," Qingxue said sweetly.

"You look fake," Xiao Hu said. "Go get 'em, Princess."

---

The 20 Cultivation Games & Lin Yuan's Rankings:

1. Spirit Rope Jumping (5th place)

 – His robe snagged on the first jump.

 – But by the third, his inner chi aligned with the rope's flow, creating elegance from effort.

 – Judges called him "graceful in recovery."

2. Mountain Path Sprint (4th)

 – While others relied on talismans, Lin Yuan ran unaided.

 – His reflexes, breath control, and leg strength carried him across illusion traps.

 – One senior tried to sabotage him; he dodged it calmly.

3. Moonlight Painting (2nd)

 – He drew a tree on a snowy hill, a sleeping child, and a shadow shaped like wings.

 – It pulsed with real emotional resonance—the elder whispered, "This child has seen loneliness."

4. Threadweaver's Grace (3rd)

 – He used humble silks and moonlight thread to craft a robe that reflected restraint, silence, and honesty.

 – It lacked flash, but possessed depth.

 – Yuexian murmured, "This one is dangerous."

5. Pot Smashing (6th)

 – He smashed 14 pots in 30 seconds.

 – Half exploded in candy. One in spirit rats. One in pink smoke.

 – Crowd favorite, but not accurate enough for higher rank.

6. Candy Cauldron Dive (1st)

 – While blindfolded, he used his spiritual sense to seek cool aura and resonance.

 – He pulled out the rare Blue Orchid Crystal Candy.

 – The crowd gasped.

7. Chi Balancing Walk (7th)

 – Walking across floating bamboo with core chi.

 – He fell once, corrected fast, but lacked the lightness of trained dancers.

8. Will-Fire Meditation (3rd)

 – A test of inner stability.

 – He remained calm through a vision of his parents dying again.

 – He trembled but didn't move.

9. Spirit Beast Taming Dash (4th)

 – He approached a wild flame squirrel with calm breath and aura compression, guiding it into rest.

 – Others used treats or fear.

10. Sword Petal Catch (No rank)

 – Petals sliced skin if caught wrongly.

 – He caught only two, missed five, hands bleeding.

 – He was brave but not precise.

11. Water-Thread Weaving (6th)

 – Runes had to be drawn on vibrating water.

 – His seals were simple but stable, unlike showy designs that crumbled.

12. Mystic Herb Smelling (10th)

 – He mixed bitter lotus with frost mushroom, mistaking cold for numbness.

 – A rare misstep.

13. Cloud-Step Form (7th)

 – A footwork trial over mist illusion tiles.

 – He kept a consistent but cautious rhythm.

 – Lost speed but never fell.

14. Talisman Relay (5th)

 – Create and pass chi-infused spirit tags across a line.

 – His calligraphy was clean and fast, if not flashy.

15. Illusion Maze Sprint (3rd)

 – Maze created from personal fears.

 – Lin Yuan ran through shadow clones of himself and didn't panic.

 – "She has control," said the judges.

16. Fire-Needle Embroidery (12th)

 – His hands trembled. His thread burned.

 – He stabbed himself twice. Still finished, but it was ugly.

17. Beast-Form Mimicry (7th)

 – He chose Snake Form, mimicking Lady Baihua.

 – Flexible but lacked explosive power.

18. Spirit Net Toss (9th)

 – Required timing and spirit vision.

 – He caught 3 of 12. Not bad, not great.

19. Silken Silence Test (5th)

 – Crossing spirit grass without making sound.

 – His steps were light and deliberate. Nearly flawless.

20. Yin-Yang Cauldron Trial (4th)

 – Sitting inside dual-element heat and frost, balancing both.

 – He endured until the end, refusing to scream.

---

His final ranking placed him just above two elegant inner disciples, thanks to his consistent strength, high soul resilience, and courage.

But the whispers began:

> "She's not even that talented."

"Wasting the Sect's money."

"She got two rare spirit beasts! That's favoritism!"

"Why train someone like Xiao Lin?"

But Yuexian said nothing.

She stood like a mountain wrapped in plum blossoms.

And when the time came…

> "First place… Xiao Lin."

Lin Yuan blinked. Someone pushed him forward.

The crowd was stunned.

He stood crowned with moon petals.

Yuexian placed the wreath on his head.

> "My disciple," she whispered, "always full of surprises."

He whispered back, "You're enjoying this too much."

> "Indeed," she said, her voice warm.

---

That night, Lin Yuan saw his reflection in the mirror.

Veiled. Crowned. Painted.

Boy? Girl? Something in between?

He didn't know.

But he knew this:

He wasn't left behind.

> "I just wanted to train," he muttered.

> "You just wanted snacks!" Xiao Hu shouted.

Qingxue offered him a candy.

Lin Yuan took it—and smiled.

He have good hearing but face blindness. He see some faceless people gossip and criticism him. He knew he is week but no one ever criticize him.

How even elders question his worth.

How Yuexian gently praises him.

And how Lin Yuan quietly suffers that night, doubting his worth despite winning oveThe garden lights had faded. The cheering died. The flower crown wilted slightly in Lin Yuan's lap as he sat quietly by the lotus pond.

Even after earning first place overall, the whispers hadn't stopped.

> "She only won because she joined every game."

"Any other girl could've done better with that many chances."

"With all those resources, this result is disappointing."

"Sect Leader Yuexian trains her personally, and this is all she achieved?"

Even some elders didn't hide their disappointment.

> "We expected more. With rare spirit beasts, elite training, and the Sect Leader herself behind her? Average scores in most rounds? How is that acceptable?"

One elder shook her head.

> "The resources could have gone to ten disciples instead."

That evening, after the ceremony, Sect Leader Yuexian found Lin Yuan alone—barefoot in the grass, his hair loose, flower crown in his hands.

She sat beside him under the quiet stars.

> "You did well," she said.

Lin Yuan didn't answer.

> "You were the only one who entered every event. Most girls chose three, some four. You did all twenty."

> "And that," Yuexian said softly, "is why you won."

She rested a hand on his shoulder.

> "It's the fruit of your hard work. Two months of falling, sweating, getting up again. You never complained."

> "This victory is not about talent. It's about heart. And yours shines."

He nodded… but didn't smile.

---

That night, the moon was full, casting silver shadows across the quiet training hall.

Lin Yuan lay curled on his side, unable to sleep. His room was still, but his ears burned.

Not talented enough…

Waste of spirit stones…

She only got first because she joined everything…

He bit his lip. His throat hurt. His chest tightened.

He clutched his blanket, face half-buried in the pillow, blinking hard.

> "I tried," he whispered to no one. "I really tried."

> "But maybe… maybe they're right."

He remembered missing the sword petals. Burning his fingers on fire embroidery. Stumbling on spirit threads. Bleeding into his sleeves just to keep up.

He didn't win because he was strong.

He won because he never stopped showing up.

And somehow, that still wasn't enough.

Outside, the wind carried soft rustles through the soul trees. The moon looked down, silent and cold.Sect leader say 'I will take you outside the sect tomorrow. '

---