"Haven't you had enough tonight?"

Xiao ignored Bradley, despite the hard pat on his back. He simply watched on with distastefulness at the two disciples wrestling from the back of the crowd. 

"I'm talking to you, you prodigal," Bradley said, even louder than before. It didn't matter though, since there was loud cheering from all the other spectators. 

Xiao turned to look at him, purposefully with an air of exasperation and lethargy. "What? I finally get to drink for once - let me tell you, for once - on Mount Huai. Can't I enjoy it without your pestering?"

"You - "

Xiao turned away. "If you're so responsible, why don't you mind Lucas on the ground?"

Then Xiao left the crowd in the front yard and headed to the back of the Mount Huai residence. The moon was cold as frost and clear as crystal in the night sky. The fog that had often covered the sky in the winter had faded away to the clear spring nights. Xiao walked and drank, kicking up dirt as he pleased until he reached the back wall where he and Jonah practiced every night.

He jumped, grabbed the top of the wall, and swung himself up to a sitting position. It was an easy feat for a trained knight like him. From his seat, he could see the moon and the stars, as well as the dark forest that was outside the wall. "How beautiful this is," he exclaimed. "Isn't this better than sitting in crowded rooms and talking with people one can't get along with?"

He fished around in his pocket and found a package of sunflower seeds that he took from the winehouse this afternoon. He grabbed one and started chewing on it. He couldn't open these for life, but he always bought them for Bradley. He had been to the winehouse so many times that the owner would stuff a package into his hand even when he didn't ask for one. It turned out to be a good pastime tonight. He chewed on the seeds, savouring the salt on the shell and then spitted out most of the content onto the grass.

About five minutes later, he heard footsteps coming towards him. "Another one to interrupt my alone time," he muttered to himself and downed the rest of his liquor. Then he swung himself around to face the intruder.

It was Cole Fessler who stood in the dim light casted by a nearby lantern. With his white robes, he resembled a ghost. However, it seemed that he had no ill intentions as he held a jug of alcohol in front of him and smiled timidly. "Here."

Xiao jumped down and landed in front of Cole. "For me?"

Cole smiled, his eyes narrowing as he did so. "Why else would I hold it out to you?"

Xiao chuckled and nodded at Cole, not sure whether to show his appreciation or his wariness. He took the bottle. It hasn't been opened yet. Xiao opened it and sniffed. "What is this?"

"Pixiu," Cole said. "It's native to the Wen River region." He paused, then added "made from grapes".

Xiao couldn't help but laugh. "What did you do, read a book on Pixiu?"

Cole smiled. "I'm not a drinker."

"How come you have it then?" Xiao asked. He didn't bring it to him specifically, did he?

"I thought it was a bottle of water," Cole said lamely.

Xiao resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Was this a peace offering? He took a gulp of it and handed it to Cole. "Here, you have some, too."

Cole shook his head and pushed it away from Xiao, careful not to touch Xiao's fingers. "I'm not a drinker."

"Oh, come on, you brought it out," Xiao protested. "And if it's from Wen River, you've got to have some."

"If it's from Wen River, maybe I have drank enough of it for a lifetime," Cole returned. "You have it all."

Xiao laughed. "I've been drinking Xifeng since fifteen and I haven't gotten tired of it. Besides, you said it yourself. You're not a drinker."

Cole smiled. "How do you like it?"

"It's got an eccentric taste to it. It's not unpleasant, and with time I'll start to appreciate it," Xiao said. "It explodes in your mouth, see. I've never travelled to Wen River, so I've never encountered this type of drink. It's not bad."

Cole grinned. "Want to hear the story behind it?"

Xiao quickly swallowed the mouthful he had and stared at Cole with wide eyes. "Don't tell me there's some disgusting tale behind it!"

Cole grinned wider. "Want to hear it?"

Xiao shook his head. "Not tonight, I don't."

"A shame," Cole said. "I'll tell you another time then. It's quite interesting."

Xiao took another big gulp and faced away from Cole. "Why aren't you with all the others up front?"

"If the famous Xiao could leave early, I figured I could too."

"Don't feel like killing a couple of those disciples tonight?"

Cole caught on to what he was saying. "I didn't want to kill you this morning either."

Xiao laughed drily. "Jason missed a part of the sequence?"

There was a pause between Cole spoke again that signalled that Xiao was right. "It was cool that you mixed a lot of sequences together in your fight with Jonah today."

Xiao whirled around as his anger from this afternoon resurfaced. "Were you spying on me?"

Cole's eyes widened. "No! I just happened to pass by."

Xiao snorted. "Mount Huai has a bunch of passersby these days."

Cole's face softened a little. "I get what you mean. You are just in a bad mood because your home had been taken over."

Xiao felt a sense of defiance. Cole was right. And it didn't make him feel good that Cole understood what he felt. But before he could say anything, Cole continued. "I also understand that I shouldn't have interrupted this afternoon."

Xiao snorted. "Whatever. Let's not talk about that."

Cole nodded and jumped to the top of the wall and sat down. Xiao started, bewildered.

"Come on!" Cole called impatiently. He patted the space next to him.

Xiao shook his head minutely. Was this the Cole Reece, Kun, and Hao had been talking about? The good-hearted Cole? Or...

He followed suit and settled a distance away from Cole on the wall.

"You don't like wrestling?" Cole asked after a short silence in which Xiao took a sip of Pixiu.

"It's not that I don't like it. I'm just in the mood to be alone, I suppose. It comes with living alone, I suppose." Xiao realized he said "I suppose" twice in his response and chuckled a little. "I don't know, really."

Cole hummed in agreement. "I don't despise crowds either. But sometimes ... " He trailed off.

Sometimes you want to hangout with the person who's ignored you for a week? Xiao wondered. He was at a loss as to what to say. It was dark and he was with someone he greatly distrusted. There was one thing he really wanted to know but he also didn't want to mention it. Then he recollected that he was technically treating a guest so he inquired whether Cole liked Mount Huai.

"I do. The clearing you showed to us was enchanting."

"I'm glad you like it," Xiao said. "Have you visited the little waterfall at the back?"

Cole shook his head then said: "You could show me to it."

Xiao chuckled but didn't say anything, telling Cole implicitly that he only asked out of politeness.

After another silence Cole spoke up. "So you like to drink and eat sunflower seeds."

Xiao laughed a little. "You can say that."

They lapsed into silence at this again and after a while, Cole cleared his throat. "I'll leave you to it."

Xiao opened his mouth but he didn't know whether he should let him go or ask him to stay. Though it was awkward and weird, he kind of enjoyed another person's presence.

Cole nodded at him and jumped off the wall and left without a word. Xiao looked at him walking away and he was at a loss for what to do. So he tipped back his head and drank all of Pixiu.

A few moments later, Jonah came to find him. "I knew you would be here, Xiao-Ge."

Xiao jumped down to greet him just like how he had greeted Cole a few moments ago. "Cole just left," he told Jonah.

"Cole?" Jonah asked, bewildered.

"Yeah. The guy dressed in white?"

Jonah rolled his eyes. "I know who Cole is. But why would he come here?"

"To offer me wine, apparently." Xiao shook the now empty jug.

Jonah shook his head in bemusement. "Well, I could do with some sequences after such a feast."

Xiao laughed and ruffled Jonah's hair even though he was barely taller than Jonah. They started practicing what was now an old sequence - Jonah using hidden weapons and Xiao combining multiple sequences together. When a particularly difficult part of Yueyang sword came up, Jonah let out an arrow that aimed for his face. Xiao hissed in surprise at him and quickly blocked it with a wild wave of his sword. Then he let out an arrow of his own instinctively. 

Jonah was just about to lunge at him with an attack but had to stop to block it. Xiao saw Jonah's face broke into a smile at this attack. Jonah knew he had caught Xiao off guard. Xiao smiled too and was going to resume Yueyang when - "Stop!"

Jonah jumped away from Xiao and both whirled around. Grandmaster Liang was standing at the edge of the yard, evidently furious at the pair of them. His short goatee quivered in his indignation and his eyes shone with shock. "Xiao what are you doing?"

Xiao's eyes widened at the accusatory tone directed at him. He had never received this treatment from Grandmaster Liang. "Jonah and I were practicing."

"Yeah, we were practicing, Grandmaster Liang," Jonah said, coming to Xiao's aid.

"Practicing? Why did you release an arrow at him?"

Xiao's face flushed. "I was caught off guard - "

"So you hit him with an arrow? Where is your dignity?" his mentor demanded.

"I hit him with an arrow first, Grandmaster Liang," Jonah cut in. 

"You too? Why are you resorting to hidden weapons as a form of attack? Haven't I taught you that those things should not be used because they are malicious and any victories won with them are not glorious in any way?"

Xiao and Jonah both hung their head at the scolding but as Xiao listened, he felt more and more wronged. "Grandmaster, while they are looked down upon by some, hidden weapons are still widely used. I just thought that Jonah should have decent practice at dodging and using them."

"What have you become, Xiao?" Grandmaster Liang asked, his voice dripping with anger. "You come back to Mount Huai and not only do you not train your brothers, you go around the back doing God knows what! And now you are ruining one of my star disciples!"

"Grandmaster, Xiao was trying to better me!" Jonah cried.

Grandmaster Liang shook. "Better you?"

"He's only preparing me for the future, when I go off Mount Huai."

Grandmaster Liang looked between the two of them. "I don't want this to happen again. No more practicing at night. Alright?" This time his voice had a tinge of sadness, as if acknowledging that Xiao wasn't under his control anymore.

Xiao nodded, not meeting Grandmaster Liang's eyes. He knew if he did, his resentment would be seen and more scolding would come. If he just lowered his head, it could seem like he was genuinely sorry.

"Xiao," his mentor called.

Taking a big breath, Xiao looked up with a poker face. 

"I want you to train your brothers on Mount Huai for the next two months."

Xiao's eyes widened. "Next two months? Mentor, there is a case going on! John, Bradley - "

"They will look after it," his mentor said. "I want you to stay here with me."

Xiao instantly understood. His mentor did not trust him anymore and wanted to lecture him until he was the star pupil he once was. Casting his eyes down once more, he nodded. "Yes mentor."

"You'll look after the Mount Huai disciples starting tomorrow," Grandmaster Liang told him. "And there will not be any business regarding hidden weapons."

"But Grandmaster Liang, we practice hidden weapons everyday normally," Jonah protested.

"There won't be any more practicing," Grandmaster Liang declared.

Xiao opened his mouth but closed it again. What could he say that wouldn't lead to another scolding? "I understand, Grandmaster Liang," he said.