"...And this is our Honghu Sect's training ground. It's quite large, isn't it? Further ahead, past that bamboo grove, is the library pavilion. If you ever think of slacking off, though, you better stay far away from there. The old men inside will have you copying scriptures 'till your hand falls off!"

Yi Xixiao chattered endlessly as he led the new disciple through corridors adorned with carved beams and painted rafters. He stood tall and walked with a brisk pace, his meticulously cared-for red robes swaying gently with his movements. So pleased he was with having a new shidi to show around, that his lips curled into a smug grin every time he shut his mouth.

"Ah, what's left to see within the sect? Uh..." Yi Xixiao wondered out loud, tapping a knuckle to his temples. He groaned, a trace of impatience on his handsome face, and suddenly stopped walking.

Hands settling on his hips, he spun on his heels to look at his shidi instead. A sly glint passed through his eyes. "Hey—bet even you got tired of walking around like this, right?" Yi Xixiao lowered his head and talked in a quieter voice, as if revealing some incredible secret. "Shidi, I'm your good shixiong, so I'll tell you now to spare you the heartache later—staying on the mountain all the time is boring! How about I take you down the mountain to see the world?"

The spoiled young master cackled. That face that looked noble and haughty a moment before now resembled that of a naughty child. Before the new disciple could react, Yi Xixiao had already grabbed his wrist to drag him away from the stone path leading to the sect's library pavilion, ignoring whether the other boy was willing or could even keep up with his brisk pace.

"Listen here," Yi Xixiao said as he walked, his voice filled with the kind of excitement that precedes a successful prank. "Although our Honghu Sect is the greatest sect under Heaven, there are always some clueless fools who oppose us. You know who I'm talking about, right? Those barbarians from Zhanwu Sect!" The disdain in his tone was undisguised. "All they know is fighting and killing all day long. They're crude and unsightly, just looking at them is annoying. So today, shixiong will take you to 'give them some pointers', let them know the might of our Honghu Sect!"

Yi Xixiao didn't slow down, pulling his new shidi quickly through the sect gate and down the winding mountain path. The city of Tai'an below soon came into view, the hustle and bustle of the marketplace so very different from the stillness that reigned on Riguan Peak.

Yi Xixiao had a clear destination in mind. He pulled the other boy into a crowded street, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Just ahead at that teahouse, those grey-robed rats love to gather there." Yi Xixiao lowered his voice, a mischievous grin playing on his lips as he pointed towards a two-storey building not far away from them; just then, like Yi Xixiao expected, a junior from Zhanwu Sect with the sleeves of his hanfu rolled up like some vulgar street vendor, stepped inside.

Yi Xixiao let go of the other's wrist, but only to reach out and put his arm around the boy's shoulders instead. He looked at him and said expectantly, "Shidi... let's go say hello, mm?"