TESTING--

The last Yixiao saw as he fell off the cliff was the evil grin of his attacker, whose veil he had succeeded in tearing off. The pock-marked visage of the man embedded itself deeply in his mind. He had been poisoned, and might not live. He knew that his only escape was to jump, and he jumped backwards off the cliff as the man advanced. The man had struck him with a deadly blow just before he jumped, and he found trouble struggling to keep his head above the surface of the water for air. Slowly, he ran out of energy and soon blacked out.

..........................

He sensed voices, but he was only aware of the darkness surrounding him.

A gruff male voice broke the silence. "Young Master, are you sure that saving him is the right decision? He has been out cold for only 36 hours, but what I fear is that he could be dangerous."

A gentle male voice answered, "I believe he will wake up soon. He is quite lucky that the antidote to his poison was located on the ship. But whether he can wake up or not depends on his own self."

"There is a method," the owner of the first voice said. He heard whispering, and the next he felt was the gentle touch of soft fingers against his chest, and then a cold stone pressed against his chest. Almost immediately he felt static energy cruising into his body, granting him strength temporarily to jump up quickly from his bed.

Yixiao awoke. Before him hovered a young man, well attired in an expensive-looking suit of brocade, and an older man, presumably his servant, dressed in an outfit, that looked similar to the uniform he and his fellow disciples donned for their martial arts practice. He expressed his gratitude to his saviours and asked how they could be addressed by.

"My name is Dou Teng," the young man introduced himself. "I offer you my sincere apologies for not being able to provide you, as my guest, with much hospitality." He bowed.

"I should be the one apologizing to you instead. I cannot thank you enough for saving my life," Yixiao said, returning Dou Teng's bow. "And, my name is Li Yixiao. I was attacked by strange men in black veils, and jumped into the water to escape them.How did you happen to pass by?"

"To get to the island of Twilight Snow, one must pass the hill of Tranquillity by water,travel northwards, and get lost in the monsoon storm. But to reach the sacred island requires luck and a certain test by the gods and goddesses protecting the island,which I do not know of. It is definitely a suicide mission! Any of us could die any time,but my servant and I are prepared to take chances and brave it to the fullest. But we will not let you, as my guest; accompany us in our foolish journey. We will find a safe place to drop you off, with people who can take care of you," the young man confidently answered.

Without hesitation, Yixiao quickly replied, "There is no need for that, my kind saviour. I will accompany you in your journey."

"You do not have to risk your life to repay us," Dou Teng argued. "My father left me inthe care of my teacher, a wise old monk, when I was 11. I have been instructed with teachings of the sages and Buddhist scriptures, and have long ago categorized death as but as a passing, a part of life."

"Won't your father lament in your absence?"

"It is Old Master Dou's idea to let Young Master take on this mission," the servant answered in his stead. "Young Master may have left home for 11 years, but Old Master has faith that Young Master will prevail in his mission. And I will risk my old life to ensure Young Master's safety."

Yixiao nodded. "I am not afraid, either. I did not believe I would die when I jumped off that cliff. I want to venture with you all, and learn about the world outside the Hill of Tranquility. This way, even if I leave this world, it will be not in vain."

"Very well," Dou Teng clapped his hands rhythmically. "A young hero, indeed!" He then raised his right hand skyward, pledging his vow to treat Yixiao from this day onwards, as his sworn brother. For the first time in his life, Yixiao encountered fraternal love, the love that his envious fellow disciples could never give prior to their deaths. He respected Dou Teng the same way Dou Teng respected him, and the two courageously faced the storms ahead, without a single thought for their own lives.

As they worked the boat safely through the storms, Dou Teng's servant watched them, grinning maliciously. He knew what saved them were a pair of gemstones, one which Dou Teng wore since he was an infant, and the other which Dou Teng had gifted his sworn brother with. But whatever was in the servant's mind, none of them knew.