The days passed on Mount Huai. The disciples of different sects trained together occasionally and they ate and talked a great deal. The grandmasters all sat together and ate in the Great Hall, so the disciples often gathered in the hall of the disciples' wing. Every morning, he went to the back of the seclusion wing to learn from Grandmaster Maguire and then trained Jonah every night. The seventh day, Xiao was unfortunate enough to find himself among the Wen River disciples in the yard. 

Jason and Owen sauntered over with swords dangling in their hands after breakfast when Xiao was practicing the Prowess Sequence of Mount Huai. They started fighting each other and Xiao watched them through half closed eyes whenever he took a water break. Soon, Gary came out and challenged Owen to a fight. Jason came up to Xiao.

"Want to learn our sequence?"

Xiao grinned despite the disgust welling up in his chest. "Of course."

Jason smirked. "I'll show you then." He jabbed his sword towards Xiao. Xiao jumped a full two meters away from him but Jason slashed at him again. Xiao blocked it and pressed down on Jason's sword.

"Jason, what are you doing?"

"You prefer the boring style of teaching?"

Xiao glared at him. He couldn't back down. "Fine, keep going."

Jason laughed. "Here, let me show you."

Albeit Xiao's anger at Jason, he watched attentively as Jason showed every move of the sequence carefully and mimed it. When Jason was done, he turned towards Xiao with a satisfied smirk. "Do it."

Xiao smiled coldly. He did the whole thing Jason taught perfectly and then jutted his chin out at Jason. The young man smirked. "Not bad, pretty boy."

Xiao's eyebrows furrowed at this, unsure whether to take it as a joke or not, but someone interrupted his mental process.

"Xiao, let me help you get hold of Wen's swordplay."

Xiao whirled around to see the menacing Cole Fessler. He couldn't back out of the situation in any way for people to not say he was afraid. "Alright."

Cole came in front of him. "Go ahead."

Xiao let out a breath and jabbed at Cole. The Wen's swordplay was tricky, but he could now anticipate the moves of Cole's. However, when they were nearly done with the swordplay, Cole did a move he did not foresee. The next move was supposed to be a swirl and jab but Cole flicked and slashed. Xiao hurriedly blocked them and slashed at Cole, instinctively reverting back to Mount Huai swordplays. Cole jumped out at this.

"I thought you were learning the Wen's swordplay." Xiao had to admit Cole was smart for picking out sequences so fast.

Xiao glared at him. "Then - "

Cole didn't let him finish but lunged and jabbed at him again. Xiao flicked it away, hard, and started the Wen's sequence again. This time Cole's attack was fierce and fast, unlike the first round. In a few seconds, Xiao was messing up his footing. He had barely blocked Cole's latest attack at his legs when Cole suddenly swirled around him and kicked him on the back. Searing pain spread across his lower back and Xiao stumbled and fell face first onto the ground.

Hastily, he scrambled up, his face red from embarrassment. With his face turned away from the Wen's disciples, he heard Cole give a triumphant "hmm". Xiao scoffed and picked up his sword.

"Let's go again," he said. However, his feeble voice was drowned out by Jason. "What are you so triumphant about, Cole? He's just learnt it."

"It's the short amount of time in which I caused him to fall that I was triumphant about," Cole replied.

Jason laughed loudly. Xiao shook his head and turned towards the path that led to the disciple wing but he froze when he saw Grandmaster Liang at the entrance of the great hall.

He saluted. "Grandmaster."

His mentor smiled at him. "That was a good try," he told Xiao. "I would warn you against learning more sequences from other sects, however."

Xiao paused for a brief second. "Why not?"

Grandmaster Liang grabbed his right arm with the speed of lightning. Xiao winced. His mentor pulled back his sleeves to reveal a green bruise there. Then his mentor pried open the collar of his top and flicked away his hair to reveal an ugly purple bruise on his neck. Xiao smoothed down his hair and widened his eyes at his mentor. "It's not - "

His mentor shook his head. "Xiao, I don't know what you are doing with whoever but I beg you not to taint yourself for some other sects' secrets."

Xiao pulled his arm out. "Grandmaster Liang, it's not what you think! I would never do that!"

His mentor sighed. "I hope you could focus more on your brothers."

Xiao opened his mouth to further defend himself but his mentor walked away. In frustration, he kicked a clump of blue flowers, and walked towards the Mount Huai disciple practice place.

They were all there, all the disciples. They fought in pairs or practiced in threes and fours. Xiao stood at the entrance and saw all the familiar sequences he had been practicing for almost ten years. Bradley directed the younger disciples, completely engrossed. Xiao shook his head and turned around, towards the Seclusion Wing.

The first fight Bradley and Xiao had this week was about the Mount Phoenix disciples.

The third morning they returned to Mount Huai, just three days back, Bradley woke up to see Xiao's bed empty. One rule Xiao followed all the time was waking up early. By five, Xiao would have got up and by five thirty, Xiao would have already warmed up. This recollection of their past discipleship put a tiny smile on his face despite himself and he got ready and planned on joining Xiao outside for some practice before breakfast, but found the yard empty. Reece and Kun were there however, so he asked them for Xiao's whereabouts.

"I think he's at the back," Reece replied.

Bradley nodded thanks and went back. However, Xiao wasn't anywhere to be found. Bradley searched the clearing, the valley with the fishing river, and around the forest but found only birds and squirrels. Giving up, he practiced by himself in the clearing.

Then, when he went to breakfast, he saw Xiao talking with Reece and Kun outside the disciples' wing. The two Mount Phoenix disciples were saluting him, as if they were thanking him for something. Bradley instantly felt resentment rising in his chest. What were the three of them doing this morning? Did Xiao have a plan with them? Perhaps he had hid when Bradley came out and made Reece send Bradley away? Come to think of it, Xiao wasn't with the Mount Huai disciples yesterday morning either. Xiao had told him he was going for a walk then didn't turn up until lunch. Was he with Reece and Kun yesterday too?

Bradley cleared his throat when he passed them. Xiao looked at him and grinned widely. "Brad, going to breakfast?"

Bradley's face softened at the nickname but then he scoffed. Xiao would call him "Brad" even after tricking him this morning? He hummed in replied. Xiao saluted the two Mount Phoenix disciples and came after him. Bradley felt even more angry at the thought that he must have came off as a moody kid to the two guests.

"Bradley, wait up."

Bradley dragged Xiao to the corner of the yard. "Xiao, where were you this morning?"

Xiao hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering "went to the back".

"Yeah, that's what Reece told me too."

Xiao looked puzzled. "Yeah so?"

"Well I went to look for you but you weren't there."

Xiao laughed. "Mount Huai is huge. Of course you wouldn't find me if I didn't want to be found."

What an attitude, Bradley thought. "Where were you?"

Xiao smiled sweetly at him. "Why does it matter, Bradley?"

Bradley wanted to scream at him. He was Xiao's older brother! He and Xiao had always been together but now Xiao was keeping secrets. "Where is your sense of responsibility?"

"What do you mean?" Xiao asked.

"You haven't done one thing for Mount Huai since you came back. Remember, you are not some guest like Reece and Kun."

Xiao looked up at him with disdain across his face. "It sure feels like it."

Bradley took a step back. "What, you'll abandon all your brothers?"

"No, I just meant I don't feel like the host of this mountain. It seems that Steph had been manning the ship."

"You're just lethargic. Wandering around the back all day. Who are you hoping on seeing, Rose?"

Xiao smiled in a mysterious way. "Who's to say I haven't already seen her?" In truth, what else could he have said? He couldn't possibly tell everyone what happened to Rose.

"That's why you're sidling up to her peers?"

Xiao's face darkened so fast it was scary. "Who do you think I am? Maybe I don't follow all the rules, maybe I drink too much, but I've never had those thoughts on maidens!"

"You're not far from it," Bradley retorted and stormed away. Xiao hit him in the back with a stone.

Presently, Xiao made his way back from the seclusion wing. He finally got hold of the Yueyang Sword and he planned on practicing it. In his mind, he went over every single move and corrections Grandmaster Maguire had made. He was so preoccupied that he turned the corner to bump into someone.

"Xiao!"

He was greeted with an indulgent smile and a pair of arms. "John!"

His older brother hugged him and then held him at arm's length to look at him properly. "You've grown thinner since two years ago, Xiao," he scolded. "And why are your clothes so rumpled?"

Xiao got out of John's hold and smoothed down his clothes. "I've been practicing my sword," he answered. "And how can I not lose weight with all the running around saving people?"

John chuckled. "Let's go back. All the Mount Huai disciples are waiting for you."

Xiao brightened up. "Now that you're back, John, we can finally have the sword viewing feast!"

John patted him on the back. "It's good to be back with you guys."

They went into the disciple's wing where indeed everyone was waiting. Bradley stood up as soon as Xiao stepped over the threshold. "You rascal, where were you? John-Ge just came and you had to make him go look for you!"

Xiao nodded and looked down, not replying. Bradley and him had been arguing on and off for the past week and he was simply tired of it all. This seemed to shock many people. They had wanted to watch their two older brothers argue. "I'm sorry, Bradley-Ge."

Bradley seemed shocked at his submissiveness too but shook it away. "Alright, let's eat. The food is all cold now."

Jonah smirked. "You were the one who insisted on waiting for Xiao-Ge."

Bradley smacked him but Xiao gave Jonah a small smile. "Yeah, let's eat. Sorry for the wait everyone."

At the meal, everyone pestered John to talk about his travels. "Yeah, where did you go the past years?" 

John smiled. "I stayed with my good friend Frank Jung for a while."

Xiao looked at Bradley. "Your friend?" he mouthed. Bradley rolled his eyes but nodded. Xiao felt sad at the way Bradley had been treating him lately but he pushed it aside.

"John-Ge, you know about all the cases of maidens being stolen then?"

John nodded. "That's why I was late. After the feast tonight, I'll go off again to look more into it."

"Xiao and I will come with you," Bradley offered.

"I'll come too," Stephanus added. 

John smiled. "You guys stay until the end of the fortnight. Then you guys can come."

Xiao nodded at this. He had some mixed feelings. One part of him wanted to help John and solve the cases but he also wanted to stay longer and learn another sequence. After all, John was able. He also felt honored that Bradley had wanted him along. It seemed that their arguments hadn't ruined their relationship drastically.

However, this was the wrong move. Bradley glared at him. "I'll just come with you, John-Ge. Let Xiao and Steph stay. I am the second oldest. I should come."

John put a hand on Bradley's arm. "It's alright, Bradley. It's only a couple of days. Besides, you young people should stay here to learn from each other."

Stephanus huffed. "We didn't learn much, did we?"

"Meeting new people is learning," John told Stephanus.

Xiao spoke up. "If you paid attention, maybe you would have learned something."

Bradley instantly turned on him. "What did you learn then?"

Xiao smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Bradley fired up. "Is that what you have been doing in the back? Paying attention?"

"Wait, Xiao-Ge, you really were spying the Xue Lake disciples?" Lucas asked.

Xiao's eyes widened. "What?" he exclaimed. "No! What do you take me for?"

"Someone who would do anything to be better than anyone else," Stephanus replied. "You've been away most of the week and barely trained with us."

Xiao shook his head. "I've been practicing alone, that's all."

"Since when did you start doing that?" Peter asked.

"Since I became qualified to go down Mount Huai," Xiao said, fiercely. "What's up with you lot interrogating me?"

John cut in. "You guys, Xiao isn't a young disciple among you anymore. If he wants to train alone, he can."

"Bradley helps us train," Kelvin said. At this Aidan, the youngest, nodded his agreement. Xiao's eyes flicked to Jonah, the only one that didn't speak up. Jonah was looking down at his plate of vegetables.

Bradley looked at Xiao. "Xiao, from now on, start training with us. Don't go around with those other sects anymore."

"What happened to learning and getting to know others? Making friends?" Xiao asked.

"Then tell us who you're friends with!" Bradley shouted. "Jason? The one who tried to kill you this morning? Or Reece?"

Xiao looked at him evenly. "Neither. And let me remind you, you practice with them too."

"Not when I should be training my brothers!"

"Xiao trains me!" Jonah broke in.

Xiao whipped his head around at him and glared accusatorially. Though he never said it, their lessons, like his lessons with Grandmaster Maguire, were private.

Everyone was looking at Jonah and Xiao. "When?" Stephanus asked.

"Every night," Jonah said, not looking at Xiao. 

"That's why you seem tired these days," Peter remarked.

Bradley looked at Jonah. "What has he been teaching you?"

John cut in again. "Bradley, stop being like this. What would Xiao teach him that's bad?"

Bradley scoffed. "Who knows what Xiao does these days."

Xiao slammed his fist on the table. "What exactly do you mean by that, Bradley?"

"Stop!" Jonah cried. "He isn't teaching anything bad, Brad-Ge. You are overthinking."

Bradley scoffed again and turned his face away from Xiao.

John looked between them. "Xiao, you should spend more time on your brothers," he said quietly. "Not just Jonah."

Xiao pursed his lips. "Jonah is nearly seventeen. I need to prepare him especially for when he is done with his disciple-ship."

Bradley laughed. "Telling him how to drink ten tankards of Zinfandel in one go?"

Xiao ignored him. Instead, he stood up. "The sword viewing feast is tonight. I will go get ready."