Dragon's Descent [Xianxia, Reverse Cultivation]

Xiaolong discovered a side of Meihua she had never witnessed when she found the girl crouched behind a potted azalea in the Eastern Courtyard, clutching a meat bun like a talisman against disaster.

The sight stopped her short. In all their interactions since the revelation ceremony, Meihua had maintained her characteristic composure—analytical, organized, earnest in her pursuit of proper protocols. This was the first time Xiaolong had seen her disciple's carefully constructed facade crack, revealing the complicated tangle of emotion beneath.

"Meihua?" she called softly.

The girl's head snapped up, revealing a face smudged with pastry crumbs and ink stains. Her usually immaculate hair had escaped its careful arrangement, creating a wild halo that showed she had been running her hands through it repeatedly. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her robes bore the telltale creases of someone who had been sleeping in odd places.

"Honored Master!" Meihua scrambled to her feet, nearly dropping the meat bun in her haste. "I wasn't... that is, I was simply taking a brief refreshment break in a location conducive to contemplative consumption."

"Behind a plant?"

"The azalea provides excellent atmospheric ambiance for nutritional meditation."

Xiaolong studied her disciple more carefully, noting details that painted a concerning picture. Meihua's hands trembled slightly as she clutched the meat bun, and her breathing carried the shallow quality of someone operating on pure nervous energy. Most telling were the grease stains on her sleeve—evidence that this wasn't her first clandestine meal behind garden features.

"How long have you been hiding back here?"

"I prefer to think of it as strategic positioning for optimal accessibility while maintaining necessary privacy for personal restoration." The words tumbled together with the speed of someone who had been practicing this explanation.

"Meihua."

The gentle reproach in her voice deflated the girl's elaborate defenses. Meihua's shoulders sagged, and she took a halfhearted bite of her meat bun.

"Since this morning," she admitted. "People keep finding me."

"Finding you for what?"

"Everything," Meihua said, her voice carrying exhausted despair. "Despite everything we talked about a few days ago, everyone still assumes that being your disciple means I'm somehow the official channel for dragon-related communication."

Before Xiaolong could respond, voices echoed from the courtyard entrance, growing louder as they approached.

"She has to be around here somewhere," came Junior Disciple Wang's voice, pitched with the urgency of someone on an important mission. "Senior Brother Hu said he saw her heading toward the Eastern Gardens."

"I really need to ask about the proper etiquette for approaching the Honored Dragon during morning practice sessions," replied another voice Xiaolong recognized as belonging to Junior Sister Yun. "My grandmother is visiting next week, and she was extremely concerned about the possibility of showing insufficient courtesy."

Meihua's face went white. She pressed herself closer to the azalea, as if the plant might grant her the power of invisibility through sheer desperation.

"If we hurry, we can catch her before she disappears again," Wang continued, his footsteps growing closer. "She's been avoiding the common areas all day, but she has to eat eventually."

"Are you certain Senior Sister Meihua is the right person to ask?" Yun wondered. "The Honored Dragon did say yesterday that people should speak to her directly..."

"But that can't be right," Wang protested. "Dragons are cosmic beings! You can't just walk up to them and start chatting about grandmother visits. There must be proper procedures. Senior Sister Meihua understands these things—she's the expert."

Xiaolong watched her disciple's expression crumple at the word "expert." The girl looked like she was contemplating whether the azalea pot was large enough to hide in completely.

"Stay here," Xiaolong murmured, then stepped around the plant to intercept the approaching disciples.

Wang and Yun rounded the corner at full speed, nearly colliding with her before skidding to abrupt stops. Their expressions cycled through surprise, panic, and the sort of desperate courtesy that indicated they had been caught in the middle of something potentially embarrassing.

"Honored Dragon!" Wang managed, executing a bow that would have been more appropriate for meeting the Emperor. "We were just... that is, we weren't... we were seeking guidance about proper..."

"About proper ways to bother my disciple when she's clearly trying to avoid you?" Xiaolong supplied, crossing her arms over her chest.

The two froze like frightened rabbits, eyes darting toward the azalea before snapping back to her face.

"We weren't bothering her," Yun protested weakly. "We were consulting her expertise on dragon etiquette protocols."

"What expertise?"

"Well..." Yun floundered, her carefully prepared arguments evaporating under direct questioning. "She's your disciple, so she must understand proper procedures for dragon interaction better than anyone else."

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"Based on what?"

The simple question exposed the fundamental flaw in their reasoning. Wang and Yun exchanged glances, both clearly struggling to articulate why they had assumed Meihua possessed specialized knowledge about dragon social customs.

"It stands to reason," Wang began tentatively, "that someone chosen as a dragon's first disciple would have received instruction in appropriate protocols and ceremonial requirements..."

"It stands to reason," Xiaolong replied calmly, "that someone chosen as a dragon's first disciple would be learning from that dragon, not teaching others about dragon preferences she's still discovering herself."

"But..." Yun's objections faded as she grappled with the paradox she had created for herself. Her logic had assumed what it sought to explain, and her anxiety had blinded her to this flaw. "But she is your disciple. Doesn't that imply special knowledge and duties?"

"Like all disciples, she is learning my philosophies and techniques through practice. What she is not learning is how to respond to endless intrusions from well-meaning cultivators with questions she can't answer."

The two looked properly abashed, their faces coloring with embarrassment as they considered the extent of their misunderstanding.

"Oh," Yun said in a small voice. "We hadn't considered that perspective."

"Most people haven't," Xiaolong agreed. "Which is why Meihua has been hiding behind garden plants instead of eating proper meals."

Wang's eyes widened with horror. "Senior Sister Meihua has been avoiding meals because of our questions?"

"Senior Sister Meihua has been avoiding everything because people keep treating her like a dragon consultation service instead of a student trying to learn her own lessons."

"We never intended to disrupt her cultivation!" Yun protested. "We only wanted to show proper courtesy toward a powerful being whose preferences were unknown to us!"

"I never said 'do not ask questions about dragons.' I said 'direct your questions to me.' There is a crucial difference."

"We didn't realize she hadn't received special instruction on your needs."

"Perhaps it is time to learn to listen more carefully to what is said rather than what we imagine to be true."

Their faces reddened, and they nodded in abashed agreement.

"I apologize for seeking improper advice about dragons from a fellow disciple and disrupting her cultivation," Wang said, bowing deeply. "Such disrespect dishonors my commitment to the principles of the Azure Waters Sect."

"I apologize as well," Yun added, mirroring his bow. "Please accept my humblest contrition for this selfish misuse of Senior Sister Meihua's goodwill."

Xiaolong studied them, noting the honest regret reflected in their expressions. "Your sincerity is acknowledged. Make proper amends with Meihua, and learn from this misstep so you do not repeat it."

They nodded vigorously and looked at Meihua, who had emerged from behind the azalea while Xiaolong distracted the two well-meaning but misguided disciples. Meihua's hair still flew about in a tangle of unkempt curls, and the dark circles beneath her eyes contrasted sharply with the pastry crumbs clinging to her cheek, but her composure had returned.

"We're sorry, Senior Sister," Yun said sincerely. "We didn't mean to cause trouble for you."

"It won't happen again," Wang promised. "We'll make sure all disciples understand Meihua is not a conduit for dragon-related questions."

Meihua blinked, perhaps surprised by the speed at which her harassment had evaporated once Xiaolong intervened. She bowed briefly to them, demonstrating a grace that belied her disheveled appearance.

"I appreciate your recognition of my limitations," she said formally. "And I appreciate the good intentions behind your misguided inquiries."

The two seemed slightly taken aback by her poise—they had clearly been expecting an angry lecture on the importance of not bothering one's elders. After a moment, Yun seemed to collect herself, and offered a small bow in return.

"Thank you for your magnanimous acceptance of our apologies."

Xiaolong observed the exchange with bemusement. Somehow, the three disciples had transformed a simple situation into an elaborate dance of etiquette, complete with bows, apologies, and formal expressions of gratitude for good intentions. It was as if their interactions had become an opera, complete with dramatic gestures and grandiose monologues.

Eventually, the conversation wound to a close, and the two disciples retreated with profuse promises to leave Meihua in peace.

Once they had departed, Meihua turned to Xiaolong, a grateful smile appearing on her face for the first time that day.

"Thank you, Honored Master," she said earnestly. "I am in your debt for intervening."

Xiaolong smiled back, resisting the urge to brush pastry crumbs from her disciple's cheek. "If you want to repay me, take better care of yourself. It's difficult to study when you're hiding behind azaleas."

Meihua blushed and glanced down at the crumbs that clung to her sleeve. "I'll... endeavor to improve my personal cultivation habits."

"See that you do."

Xiaolong steered Meihua toward the dining hall, encouraging the girl to consume a proper meal for the first time that day. They chatted amicably as they walked, discussing cultivation theories and recent training exercises. Xiaolong noted that Meihua's demeanor relaxed over the course of their conversation, as if sharing time with her mentor was itself nourishing.

They parted ways at the entrance to the dining hall, with Meihua heading inside and Xiaolong returning to her quarters. As she walked through the tranquil gardens of the sect, she felt a small pang of guilt.

Her presence had inadvertently caused considerable disruption in her disciple's life—a disruption that had necessitated direct intervention. Xiaolong knew she bore some responsibility for that. After all, she had chosen to reveal her true nature to the sect rather than maintaining her facade as a powerful cultivator.

Was it worth it?

The question echoed in her mind as she reached her door and stepped inside. She paused and allowed her gaze to wander around the room, taking in its simple furnishings and peaceful atmosphere.

Yes, she decided at last.

Despite the disruptions, the truth had set her free from the burden of secrecy. She no longer had to hide her nature or constrain her behavior to avoid revealing her draconic side. For that, she would endure a thousand questioning disciples and their endless need for reassurance.

But, she thought as she settled onto her bed for a well-deserved rest, a good teacher should not be complacent about her student's welfare. Even if Meihua's difficulties were ultimately minor, Xiaolong would remain vigilant for signs of distress—and ready to intervene if necessary.

Meihua's perfectionistic tendencies might impede her progress if she refused to acknowledge her own weaknesses, but they could also serve as a foundation for overcoming obstacles with diligence and persistence.

It was her duty as a master to guide her disciples down a path where self-improvement became second nature, where accepting one's limitations was as crucial to success as achieving milestones. Only through recognizing imperfections could true progress be made.

Imperfections... She suppressed a laugh.

Before she had met Li Feng, it never would have occurred to her that a dragon might have any. Yet here she was, a "perfect" cosmic being guiding a disciple to see imperfection not as a failure, but as the first step toward enlightenment.

She sighed softly, musing over the subtle complexities of cultivating dragons and people alike. Different scales of difficulty indeed.