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24.84% Learning To Live As A Cultivator / Chapter 80: Chapter Eighty - He has been busy

Chapter 80: Chapter Eighty - He has been busy

Jin Li hadn't intended to stay the night at Leon's hut, it was convenience that had brought him here. After successfully completing his first mission, although the points had been doubled, he knew they were just a drop in the ocean for if he wished to obtain quality things such as the Water of Small Blessings. So he and Sun had taken on a variety of missions that gave reasonable points. There were not many of these available for first years unless one wished to lower themselves to cleaning guest rooms and mucking out griffin nests, but it was more than during normal times when all first years would vie for the same missions.

Within the past week or so, Jin Li and Sun had dealt with false devil's vine sprouts, journeyed into town to collect an Elder's foot cream and cleaned a multitude of practice swords. The false devil vine sprouts were minor demon beasts in plant form. They were not like the true devil vine, which only a martial artist of at least Senary cultivation would dare to deal with. It just looked a bit like the deadlier kind in it's sprout form, but the former did not grow beyond a half foot and the most damage they could do to a person was give them a bad rash. Finding out that the foot cream was for a fungus infection was probably far more unpleasant than dealing with those plants.

In between times, Bowyer had stepped down from the inner school mountain and sought out Jin Li to spar with a couple of times, even tested Sun's skills and reflexes. He had been delighted by the smaller boy's swiftness, something that he was still lacking, even if Sun's strength equalled nothing more than a tickle upon his sturdy form.

By yesterday morning, Sun had felt that he could no longer take the abuse and refused to crawl out from under his blanket, hence Jin Li took a quick mission by himself. It was naturally nothing that required much effort anyway. Just take some cutting knives down to the outer and inner alchemist schools. These were often given to first years in exchange for their weak pills, a sort of incentive for them to begin taking and fulfilling requests by their own merit. By now, most of the first years across every school would have begun to settle in and look beyond the basic lectures and learning materials on offer.

Hence, he had come to this school on a mission, but seeing as he had been grabbed by Bowyer to spar first thing, then lead to eat and spar again in the afternoon, he had not left the school until the sun was already sinking beneath the tree line. He was swift enough that he needn't worry about arriving here nor getting back before the dark, but on arrival, his stomach had begun rumbling again, so he had dropped the knives off at each school, before deciding to grab his evening meal at the outer school Food Hall. He was not a stranger there, but he did earn himself several glares as he packed away dish after dish of food. The girls, who happened to decide to sit at the table he had claimed for himself, may have had something to do with that.

"You are Leo's friend!" One girl said, brightly. Her beaming smile had him wondering both where he had seen her before and who exactly was this... Leo...?

"Maimai," the girl sitting beside that one chided, in a softly spoken voice. This one too seemed familiar. "Please consider your manners." She offered Jin Li an apologetic smile, which Jin Li ignored, more interested in what was on her plate. How did she think she would survive until breakfast on that meagre portion?

"Yes, Merylin," the other pouted slightly and poked her vegetables with her chopstick. "Oh, I haven't yet thanked Leo for his advice the other week! I forgot to when I met him at the stables."

"What sort of advice?" A plain girl sitting the other side of that one asked.

"Senior Leo gave me some tips to making clear spiritual pills and burning energy pills!" The girl replied, cheerfully. "I haven't made a cauldron explode in almost two weeks!"

Jin Li rolled his eyes, wiped his mouth upon his napkin and excused himself, before standing and leaving the Hall. "Wait!" The soft spoken girl called out to him, causing him to turn to look at her. She cast her eyes down and colour rose in her cheeks. "I wished to enquire... the standings begin tomorrow. Maimai and I are fortunate enough to be able to witness. Will senior be taking part?" All students, above first years, were expected to show their faces, but forfeiting was still optional.

Jin Li narrowed his eyes and simply replied; "No." And with that he walked out to find the sky was already dark. He made a sound of irritation, before choosing to stay over at his servant's hut for the night rather than bother to run back at this late hour. Of course, he hadn't expected that he would end up being used as a pillow!

Now, he was standing outside while Leon fiddled with the locks upon his door, staring at the healthy patch of purple spirit grass in Leon's garden. It didn't really look any different to other patches of purple spirit grass he had seen, but then again, he was not an expert. He had no interest in looking at flowers and trees regardless.

The wind brushed through the garden herbs and Jin Li noticed that there were carved markers in each patch. Each noted the herbs' name and he couldn't help but wonder if there were those odd markings Leon liked to carve upon them as well. Sure enough, on the reverse of each one were carved the marks. He did not know what they meant, but found himself reaching for the Koi fish dangling from his sword and he ran his fingers over the mark upon it.

"Shall we g-go?" Leon asked. Jin Li nodded and they began to journey to the inner martial arts school.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Ebonsolaris Ebonsolaris

A happy mother’s day requires...

A double update!

Here’s to all the hard working mum’s, be it blood related, step parent, foster parent or guardian!

Chapter 81: Chapter Eighty One - I get involved in a fight

The Standings was a friendly competition between students within the three combative schools, held once a year. Friendly, as fights were not to the death. Anyone causing a death would face immediate expulsion. However, the Teachers seldom let things go so far and kept a heavy supply of Blood pills, False Recovery Pills, Bone Regrowth pills and various potions on hand to deal with the aftermath of the fights.

Second years and above were expected to participate. In truth, there was no label beyond being a First year, the only cap to learning in the school was age; once a student reached twenty eight, they would be expected to leave regardless of achievements (although most left before this). Only first years had restrictions and expectations set to their education and that was to allow them (or to force them) to settle into school and adapt to the way things were done here. This was also the reason that first years did not participate in the Standings, first years held onto their egos and grudges too firmly and 'accidents' leading to deaths were far more likely to occur. This wasn't to say that seniors did not have similar problems, but they were more aware of what would happen should they allow their emotions to overflow into combat.

The Standings would be held over a week period, within the outer schools and inner schools, though only the inner school on the last day. This last day, the top ten students of the outer school would fight the bottom ten students of the inner school, leading to potential shifts in occupants of both schools. It was probably needless to say that very few students would forfeit their battles in the inner school unless they had absolutely no choice.

There were three rounds of participation and battle points would be awarded for each round. On the fourth day, the students would be placed into groups depending on their points and fight for final rankings. For example, those with the highest points would be placed together in a group and would fight people in the same group. Those who lost would be placed by their final points, those who won would gain more battle points and continue fighting until their was one man standing, usually that person would be the highest ranked person at the end of the competition. There would be awards in points (as in the type used daily) given to students who ranked well, especially those in the top ten. Those who had improved vastly upon last year might also receive a small pot of points.

In the previous year, Pike had ranked ninth, while Bowyer had missed out on a top ten ranking and came in eleventh, in the inner school.

As first years, Sun and Jin Li could not participate in the Standings, they were expected to watch other students in the outer school battle it out to reach the top ten of their school, ready to face the inner school students. However, Pike and Bowyer had invited them to witness the inner school battles along with Leon. Their Teachers had not been surprised knowing how these two had caught the eye of inner school seniors, but the outer school students looked at both with envy and disbelief.

Sun was stuck facing a few of these students alone, seeing as Jin Li had disappeared again the day before.

"So, little Sun is above us now," one arrogant First year drawled as he and his fellows gathered around the smaller boy menacingly.

"Can't lower himself to sit in the outer school with the rest of us," another taunted.

"Well, there is this unpleasant smell..." Sun replied with a sigh.

The first student, who happened to be a from an infamous berserker sect, which focused on tempering body more than spirit, immediately retaliated over the comment, his fist flying forward. However, Sun saw it as if time had become stretched and slowed and dodged with ease. The boy's knuckles cracked the stone wall behind him. The second student grabbed the first's arm and hissed; "Bullen, do you want to be expelled?" It was one thing to exchange words of taunt, but if they were caught fighting in the corridors...

The first student glared at the second, before turning back to Sun. "You just wait until next season, during the inter school exchange! We'll see who stinks then!"

"Duh," Sun rolled his eyes. "First years can't participate in that event either." Bullen growled, his muscular body seeming to grow and shadow Sun more.

"You really should not rile Bullen up, you know," the other one sighed, dramatically. "Who knows what can happen during mock battles after all?"

"Oh? Do enlighten me," a voice drawled, lazily behind them. "What sorts of things can occur in mock battles?"

"Brats can become dead brats," Bullen replied, in a deep, threatening tone.

Jin Li glanced over his body, his eyes ranging over it with calculation, before a mocking sneer curled his lips. Then he turned his attention to Sun. "Are you done amusing yourself?" Jin Li asked him. Sun nodded with a bright grin. "Then lets get going, shall we?"

Before the other students could even protest, Sun had slipped out from amongst them and returned to Jin Li's side. He offered Leon, who was lurking in the man's shadow a curt nod, before ignoring him as well.

"Oi!" Came Bullen's angry grunt. "Who said you can walk away from me?" The youth was at the limit of his temper, which was clearly stupidly short and strode towards them, his fist curled at his side. He blindly swung at them, Sun danced naturally out of the way, while Jin Li grabbed the youth behind him and pulled him out of the berserker's path. Only he was a tad too late as Leon had kicked his leg out in surprise and the berserker's heavy weight had tripped over his foot and ankle.

The momentum and subsequent face plant, knocked the youth unconscious, while the students stared at him frozen for a moment. Leon groaned beneath his breath, his ankle throbbing in pain as footsteps suddenly broke into the silence. "What's going on here?"

"Teacher! Scatter!"


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