The lovely, demure and 'favoured by the heavens' girl froze almost imperceptibly.
"I understand," she framed her words with just a hint of sadness, causing many of her fanboys to glare angrily at the arrogant youth. How dare he deny knowing the alchemist school's most precious Twin Lotuses! "We have met just the once before."
"Oh," Jin Li responded. And within the next moment, she had totally lost his interest as he had turned to speak with Sun. "I suppose it is too late for you to return to the martial arts school, now. You can go back tomorrow and let the dorm senior know I will not be returning for a few nights." The students of the martial arts school had some degree of freedom, but that did not mean that they could vanish without word.
The dorm senior, an older student elected by the Teachers, was aware, however, that Jin Li had an alchemist student 'in his care,' who he would visit from time to time. This was not such an unusual thing as a wise martial artist cultivated relationships with alchemists, blacksmiths and scholars in order to give themselves advantages in the future. And those talents relied on the strength of a martial artist to ensure their own futures weren't hindered.
"You attend the martial arts school," Merilyn grasping this fact. Of course the man worthy of her eyes was a martial artist and a talented one of his aura was anything to go by. "Are you in need of pills at all?" Of course, she was aware that Jin Li had a 'servant' who happened to be an alchemist, but she was secure in her talent. Her pills were likely to be much more attractive than that boy's.
"Miss Merylin's pills are always of the highest quality," one of her accompanying girls mentioned, freely. The boys, who had gathered about them like moths to a flame, all nodded in unison. The girls were sighing, feeling like they could not compete with Miss Merylin.
Sun glanced over at the one Leon had named Miss Merylin and instantly decided that she was not his type. Sure, she was beautiful and for a brief moment, he was as dazzled by her as he had been the girl alchemist he had met before in Leon's hut, but he then felt that he had seen this type of beauty before. In fact, he had lived with them. His older sisters and female cousins and their friends were always practicing such faces to snare the unwise heirs of other Houses, each trying to grasp a thigh thicker than the next. It was part of the reason he had convinced his father to send him to this school, his talent had painted a target on his own back!
The girls he had met in the martial arts school were different from those girls, he felt. They were all talented and strong, though some might seek a golden thigh, they tried to prove themselves worthy with their own strengths, not through false flattery and fluttering eyelashes. Leon's friend had also been different. She did not look at him through demure and secretly calculating eyes. Her interest had been openly calculating and maybe a little startling. But, she was very pretty.
"No need," Jin Li rebuffed her without another word and Sun grinned to himself. He knew he was right to follow Jin Li, Jin Li would not fall into this girl's trap!
"That is good then," Merylin responded, immediately, bowing her head slightly before glancing back up at him through pure and friendly eyes.
"Ah, but where should I stay tonight?" Sun asked Jin Li, suddenly.
"You c-can use m-my b-bed," Leon offered. "I should c-c-cultivate anyway." It had been long enough, surely Jin Li could not still think he should wait. Sun noticed that Jin Li did not look happy, but seeing as he had nothing to add, Sun accepted Leon's suggestion. It was only right anyway, he thought, forgetting that he had just promised himself to be nice to commoners and servants!
Merylin's usually perfectly calm and gentle facade suddenly fell as she came to realise that the alchemist boy she had ridiculed to herself as likely being beneath her in all terms, was currently sheltered upon the back of the man she liked! Why was her beau lowering himself to carry a servant!? A midst the confusion welling inside her, Jin Li sidestepped her and the group began their journey back to Leon's hut.
The crowd dispersed in its own time, after Miss Merylin had stormed away, uncaring of her reputation, back to her own accommodation.
Leon's glasses were returned the afternoon more than a day later, all fixed and polished. With great relief, the youth placed them upon his nose and watched as the world came into clarity once more. His first thought, once his vision had cleared, was to heat a kettle of water and make tea.
"W-would you like some t-tea, Tor?" He asked, keeping the olive branch to the other extended. But beneath the glare of a certain individual behind Leon, thus out of his sight, Tor could only decline.
"I must get back," he replied.
"Oh, okay," Leon said, but felt his body relax in relief. Clearly, though the original had long since departed, his body still remained wary of those that killed him. He sighed inwardly, he believed that Tor would no longer be a threat to him, but couldn't help his body's reflexes.
After the blond boy had left, Leon poured a cup of tea for Jin Li, who helped himself to the honey. "Th-thank you, b-by the way," Leon said to Jin Li. The other said nothing, just glanced up at Leon, feeling strangely dissatisfied now those ugly, thick lenses obscured the youth's face once more.
He dismissed the feeling quickly. "I did not do it for you," he denied. "However, if you wish to repay this Lord, get stronger quicker so we might seek out a city and their portals. I have been away from home long enough as it is." Leon gave a nod of agreement. Jin Li left not long after, to return to the martial arts school. Sun had left early the previous morning as per Jin Li's instructions, so peace completely returned to the small hut. Leon did not wait, however, to return to his daily routine. He still had pills to make to complete the requests he had taken!
He first focused upon making the Cloudy Spiritual pills, this time producing a total of six, fairly average quality pills, but this time retaining half of his spiritual energy. He did not want to collapse again! The request only required five pills, he chose to hand over five of these average pills, the first four were too high a quality and might cause him to stand out. He had thought about giving these four to Jin Li, but was still worried about the impurities within them, so had hesitated. If he could not find a way to reduce the impurities in cloudy spiritual pills, then he would consider asking Jin Li if he wanted them.
The request from the Beast Taming school was for ten beast calming pills, five hidden mist pills and for ten one heart pills. All of these could be considered basic pills and Leon had stock of all three of these pills, but was short on the hidden mist pills, which he had only practiced once before. The recipe required deep water ivy, false wolveswort and juniper grass. It was different to other recipes that Leon had dealt with before as the mixture had to set and be moulded by hand.
Leon set to work, boiling the deep water ivy until the seaweed-like plant had dyed the water a heavy blue-green. Then, he removed the ivy before placing it to one side, this was no longer needed. The false wolveswort was required in dried form, but had to be crushed by hand. Leon ground the brittle herb until it was nearly powder before adding it into the now simmering water. The juniper grass was treated much the same way, but the potion needed to cool before it was added. As soon as the juniper grass powder was added, the liquid began to thicken and solidify, but it would be another half-hourglass before Leon could manipulate it into small round shapes.
He washed his hands clean in preperation before carefully scooping out pieces and moulding them, pouring a little of his spiritual energy into each to ensure the mixture would not separate into its components in the future. He could only make four pills in the end, the mixture having reduced to a small amount through boiling and condensing. It was enough for him, however as he had three pills from his first attempt. He placed five pills in a jade pot ready for delivery, before cleaning up the mess he had made.
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