╮(╯▽╰)╭Isn't he just that old geezer?!
On the Huashan Sect's practice grounds, the ancient pines stood motionless beneath the blazing sun. Only a few autumn cicadas stubbornly chirped away.
There was hardly anyone on the practice grounds now. Even the most diligent Huashan disciples wouldn't come here to practice their swordplay on an afternoon like this. Below, the old stone slabs, worn smooth by generations of Huashan disciples training on them, lay quietly beneath the trees.
Sunlight filtered through the dense pine needles like golden threads, scattering across the polished flagstones and sketching out fantastical patterns of light and shadow.
Since the Huashan Sect was located halfway up Mount Hua, even on a hot afternoon like this, the occasional breeze still swept by, stirring the pine needles with a soft rustle. It made for a rather lovely scene.
And beneath one of the ancient pines on the empty practice grounds, Yue Lingshan sat alone on a boulder that had been polished smooth by countless Huashan disciples sitting on it. She propped her cheeks up with both hands, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifting.
Then, for some reason, her eyes drifted as she gazed dreamily at the clouds rolling across the distant sky. Who knew what she was thinking about? Every so often, she even giggled to herself.
"??"
|˙˙)
Naturally, this was spotted by Annie, who had just woken up, eaten her fill, and come out for a stroll.
Then...
She crept up behind Yue Lingshan. Just as the girl started giggling to herself again, Annie suddenly let out a shout, making it explode right beside her ear.
"Ha!!"
"!!"
It was like a huge rock had suddenly been thrown into a peaceful lake. Yue Lingshan, lost in her thoughts, jolted in fright and nearly fell off the boulder.